A water-catcher at Upaya.
Took a walk with Roshi Joan this morning. Didn’t get very far. In the hills there is a lot of snow and I broke into some holes that were almost 3 feet deep. Trudging through the snow this came to mind:
Life is like a StairMaster, one that cannot be stopped. There is always another step ahead. You can slow it way down, which means you are less likely to trip or get exhausted, but you also won’t get into great shape. If you select a high speed, you might lose your balance at times, might even fall off now and then, but you get a better workout and advance faster. Eventually we find our own pace. But, there is always another step ahead, at any speed. Just when you think you have all your ducks in a row, you have everything figured out, you have a bulletproof plan – there is another step ahead… Better to accept the fact that everything changes constantly, that we need to keep moving, that there is always another step…
wise words.
..and sometimes we fall on our face, but we get up, brush ourselves off, and go on…
True, and yet difficult. My internal wiring says “just when you think you’re doing well, something will hit you down”. I’m trying to re-wire to “take another step”. The path is hard.
I guess this is another step.
you speak of only fast or slow…some steps are deeper, muckier, crustier…some thinner, smoother, more slippery – perhaps all to be taken with care and perhaps at times fast and at times slow
and yes, the point is to keep moving
Ottmar said once,”The first step is the only hard one.” It’s helped me a lot.
Ottmar, interestinge the idea of “movinge”…many diverse interpretationes…we are havinge unusually cold temperatures nowe…nice change of pace and reminder of what is “importante”…we have so many seeminge contradictiones in our day to day worldes…alwayes amore y paz, llindaskaye e.p. *******
Wise words. Couldn’t agree with you more.
Try to flow with the tao, which is a hell of a lot easier said than done especially in today’s fast paced, instant gratification world. To borrow an old phrase from the 70’s, just keep on truckin’.
IMHO its not whether we trip, stumble or fall but what we do after we trip, stumble or fall. That seems to happen to me at any speed.
and, it is not the true nature of ducks to stay in a row…
i am reminded of this often…