With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Last night was a good night in the Zendo. Of course anytime one practices zazen is a good time as it brings peace and stillness into the world. This morning, though, I woke late, and made a nice little breakfast of diced potatoes and onions with smoked paprika, fake bacon, and eggs. We sat together at our table and watched the world through the plate glass window in the dining room. My Little Honey has just left for the beauty school where she plans to get a haircut, etc. She enjoys offering herself up as practice for students. Besides, the price is very good.
Yesterday and Friday we spent a number of hours helping unpack and organize books for the Temple Book Sale on Sunday and Monday, then re-packing what wasn't sold for storage until the next sale in the springtime. At Saturday's Talmud class we moved through about eight pages addressing bridal virginity, the marriage contract and compensation if the bride wasn't a virgin. Goodness, this tractate just goes on and on. But, my personal highpoint was in being asked to read the haftorah, the part of the prophets that accompanies the weekly Torah portion.
One part of the portion addresses God's protection and redemption of the People (Isa. 43-43:10). Here we read of God being with us as we pass through streams and fire, protecting us. We won't be overwhelmed by water or burned by fire. I wonder what Isaiah has in mind here.
Its a serious biblical koan.
In the passages before it, God acts a lot like the Buddhist Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom who cuts through delusion with a sword. He says He will "lead the blind by a road they did not know" and that He will "turn darkness before them into light," (Isa. 42:13-16).
I take it as we practice with God, as we cut through our own delusion, open our eyes, and become one with the Universe, the very meanings of streams, fire, and so on are transformed into nothingness as we ourselves see our own true nature.
This is what it means to walk with God.
Be well.
