Facing the odds with a question of life, …
“Suzuki Roshi, I’ve been listening to your lectures for years,” a student said during the question and answer time following a lecture,” but I just don’t understand. Could you just please put in it in a nutshell? Can you reduce Buddhism to one phrase?”
Everyone laughed. Suzuki laughed.
“Everything changes,” he said. Then he asked for another question.
Forming a question is of great importance, because it has a meaning in it. There is a certain meaning to it initially. That meaning has a focal point. Though, like a pair of glasses, there are variety of degrees that change the lens prescription. Over time, our eyes modify (due to the myopic disease). The focal point adjust to new focal points. The lens prescription changes. Our frames could change too. We go through an evolution of glasses and possibly surgery.
Why is this important? Somehow the original question evolves. We can view this synonymous to life. Our focal point in life fine-tunes when it is changed. While aging we could look back at these changes and the personality goes through new styles to accommodate the role we are living. Going through renditions of life and nature of living, our innocence of youth from student to teacher to a mother or father, grandmother, grandfather we turn to a new lens.
Our experience in these from the past, present, and future plays a role in our life and defines who we are today. We could remember, being aware of our experiences. In the way living life, there is a meaningful trail that leads to our current life. Just like a lens going through finer degrees of integrity, we can adjust to that.
Though, we don’t have to go to the extent of all the details. Don’t take the meaning too far.. Give the right perspective.
While our life forms to a greater you, we need to care for the meaning we contribute in our life. This is not a great feat of act, or a hefty undertaking to build. It is just being aware of our life moving along and making sure we are keeping ourselves together. Exercise the pieces that fit and the extras leave. Our life is made up of experiences and each experience potentially manifest to who we are today. As we continue our life, we can join in life with meaning, remembering the experiences that are especially at our focal point of who we are.
Photo by Donald Teel on Unsplash
Thought Lighthouse 