Last night I went to oryoki at the leader of the zen group's home. It seems a bit strange at first to have such a ritualized way of eating. There are myriad details that you have to follow and it can get overwhelming. But as you eat, slowly, you begin to sense how the food tastes and feels. They movements are done with care and compassion, washing your bowls, folding the napkin, etc.
I had a moment at my job last week where I was actually present. I was doing a mindless task and trying to do it the best I could. Anxieties and concerns fell away and I had a moment of peace from the relentless gossip in my mind.
Seems like all you have to do is pay attention to what you are doing.
Sometimes it feels like I am on the wrong path. I am trying to rebuild my “life”, get a job, pay my bills, etc. When the true freedom lies not in having things, but in experiencing the present moment fully.
I leave you with a note from Charlotte Joko Beck:
Attention
There's an old Zen story: a student said to Master Ichu, 'Please write for me something of great wisdom.'
Master Ichu picked up his brush and wrote one word: 'Attention.'
The student said, 'Is that all?'
The master wrote, 'Attention. Attention.'
The student became irritable. 'That doesn't seem profound or subtle to me.'
In response, Master Ichu wrote simply, 'Attention. Attention. Attention.'
In frustration, the student demanded, 'What does this word attention mean?'
Master Ichu replied, 'Attention means attention.'
Source: Charlotte Joko Beck. 1993. Nothing special: Living Zen. New York: HarperCollins. 168.