Gassho,
An image dropped in the other day of those of us who are doing practice climbing a very high mountain. Not a terribly original image, admittedly, but this one had a bit of a twist.
This image involved not just one lifetime, but lifetimes.
Each of us who has taken up the climb to awaken and end suffering has our place on the mountain as the result of great effort made by those who came before us. Countless individuals practiced as deeply as they were able to get to the point at which I, at which you, took up the climb. So, here we are, people all over the world taking up the task, letting go the karma, untying the knots, cleaning up the messes….
The image reminded me of one of my favorite Old Zen Stories about Kitano Gempo, who was the abbot of Eihei temple when he died at age 92. As a young, wandering monk, he met a fellow who introduced him to the pleasures of smoking a pipe. Before long Kitano realized the pleasure of smoking could interfere with his meditation, and he chose to give up the pipe. Next, he became fascinated by the I Ching, spending months delving into its subtleties. Again, he realized he was neglecting his practice, and he let go his fascination with the I Ching. Then he was introduced to calligraphy and poetry, for which he had a great gift. His skill grew with his devotion, until one day he said to himself, “If I continue this way, I will be a poet and not a master of Zen.” He never wrote another poem.
Kitano was climbing that very high mountain; in his lifetime he reached the summit. We, too, have the possibility of reaching the summit, and it’s essential to realize the magnitude of the possibility. The Buddha taught that it is a rare opportunity indeed to have a lifetime in which all the necessary components converge to enable a person to awaken and end suffering—to have a place on that high mountain. Each of us who has come to practice with a desire to awaken and end suffering is that convergence of components. We have everything required; we must now take advantage.
What we must not do is allow egocentric karmic conditioning to squander our opportunity. It’s not unusual for a person to get to a place in practice where life is good, easier, and working, and then be lulled into a decision that, “this is enough.” That decision (usually made unconsciously) is the equivalent of reaching a lovely spot on the high mountain with a great view and deciding to open a bar and grill!
Don’t misunderstand. It wouldn’t be wrong to do such a thing, but it would demonstrate a lack of gratitude. That would be a choice to give the enormous gifts of a conscious, aware, intelligent, privileged, informed life over to ego to gobble up in selfishness. Again, it’s not a wrong choice, it’s just that gratitude opens the doors to all that is possible for us, while lack of gratitude closes them. So, if we’re using practice to have a more successful egocentric life, we mustn’t be surprised when it doesn’t work.
How do we make sure we’re not falling into that trap? We keep practicing. We keep climbing. We keep doing our part to make it up that mountain. And, we keep saying thank you for all the gifts and blessings that have brought us to where we are.
In gasshō,
Cheri