March 12, 2001
Before
enlightenment, chopping wood carrying water.
After
enlightenment, chopping wood carrying water.
Zen Proverb
Just the other day my wife
Janice and I were sitting in our living room lost in conversation fueled by
discussions about spring’s return while enjoying the afternoon sun.
She began to flip through a catalog of classes from a local community
college, when she paused and asked a familiar question. “What do you think our
purpose is? Are we just like ants
moving through life, our do we each have a purpose beyond just going through the
motions?”
This is a question that most of
us who seek spirituality wrestle with many times in our lives.
I remember being 13 or 14 years old and standing in front of the mirror
in my room looking as deeply as I could at the image before me, and asking,
“Who are you? Why are you
here?” In India there is a
Sanskrit word, dharma, which is used to describe a person’s purpose in life
and the spiritual ideal to which one is committed.
Now over thirty years later, I
still don’t have the final answer, but I have discovered a few insights about
the purpose of life. The first is
the need to become aware; what many refer to as “in the moment”.
Some people are so busy seeking the mysteries of life that they miss the
clues that are right in front of them. You
can’t wait for a future time when you think you will magically become
“enlightened” and miss out on a chance to participate in the here and now
which may lead you to your higher purpose.
We are often struck when we meet
people who are very active in benevolent causes or have found professions in
nonprofit organizations thinking they must have found their purpose.
This leads to questioning whether we should be more like them and that
would give our existence a purpose. Yet, what I have begun to recognize is that
it is the little things that can give our lives purpose.
I think it revolves around how we treat each other, not how much time we
log at the local charity. Taking
time to visit a friend who is sick, making a clerk at the grocery store smile,
writing or calling a friend just to let them know they are important, or lodging
a complaint with a retailer from a position of love versus anger, are all things
that require us to become aware of the impact we make on each other in our daily
activities. They are also actions
that give us purpose.
For me the Zen proverb above
helps keep me grounded. It reminds
me that life goes on even if I finally figure out all the secrets to my purpose
in this life. Therefore, I must
perform even the most mundane activities of life mindful of that purpose.
Maybe my purpose is as simple as how I live each day and taking the risk
of sharing my spiritual journey with others.
I know one thing; my purpose is within me already.
It speaks to my soul and I just need to learn to listen.
Then act out of respect, acceptance, and love for others and myself.
With respect, acceptance, and love,