The Bowl. . .

The Bowl. . . A monk told Joshu: “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.” Joshu asked: “Have you eaten your rice porridge?” The monk replied: “I have eaten.” Joshu said: “Then you had better wash your bowl.” At that moment the monk was enlightened.

I can only echo what Leo Babauta said about this story: “There is something profound and yet minimalist about this advice. It’s: don’t get your head caught up in all this thinking about the meaning of life … instead, just do. Just wash your bowl. And in the washing, you’ll find all you need.” We think we do, but, most of the time, there’s no need to think or plan or strategize, because, ultimately, it won’t make a big difference which option we choose. There’s always one or multiple next steps to take. So we might as well take any one of them. Often, there’s more satisfaction to be drawn from doing. No matter how our path unfolds, mindfulness always lies on the way. Peace and Love, Jim