Far Fewer Words

We're all in this together - by ourselves. - Lily Tomlin in the Zen Calendar (March 13, 2007).

Day 305. I read the quote for tonight dozens of times before actually selecting it for a blog. I never noticed it was a quote from Lily Tomlin until just now. I had just assumed it was said by some ancient, wise zen master. Instead, it was uttered by a contemporary, wise woman. Go Lily!

I rode the mountain bike 30 miles today. Revisited the Rock Garden of Eden, which I blogged about almost a year ago. It was interesting to ride along the same trails I rode when I had so recently begun to blog and meditate. I think I may have been a better blogger then. It was a fantastic day with some tremendous riding on the part of all three of us. I simply seem to have a LOT less to say about it. FAR fewer words inhabit my head these days (though I haven't yet seen a change of address submitted by the Monkeys). Maybe they have taken a sabbatical. Historically, I have adored stringing words together. At the moment, it will likely be a very short string.

I noticed a paradigm shift that began a few days ago when I was walking back to work after lunch and casually sauntered into True Nature. For large segments of each day since, I have the most uncanny perception that I have relinquished my grasp on something I have been holding for, approximately, my entire life. I think it must have been attachment. It weighed a lot. I feel stunningly light. Could it be that I am the teeniest bit enlightened?

I don't feel the same. When the clamoring racket of my overzealous neurons starts to manifest in thoughts, opinion, and strong emotion, I just cock my head to one side and register it for a half second. Then, mysteriously and enigmatically, I plop down into the midst of True Nature, and it is gone. There is nothing more to say. Apparently, True Nature is eternity itself. From beginningless time to endless future. I seem to have grasped it, and since it always has and always will be Truth, I also seem to have grasped that it isn't going anywhere. I may temporarily suffer from the illusion that I have stepped away from it, but I think I have also grasped that is an illusion. For someone who has relinquished her hold on, uh, maybe everything, I seem to be grasping a lot. Perhaps I should substitute "comprehend" for "grasp" in my word strings.

So - that's that. This comprehension of True Nature is something that we are all in together. By ourselves. I keep recalling Delbertino's comment that there comes a time when reading Zen and writing Zen and speaking Zen is insufficient. I suppose that is the jumping off point from which I just practice zen. Suzuki Roshi says it throughout the entire book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. We just assume the posture and practice zazen. Do it. Be it. That is plenty. That is enough. That is all.

I have sixty more blogs to write, and I bet I find something with which to fill up my white blogger screen. I also bet I use far fewer words.

Gassho,
CycleBuddhaDoc