Spaciousness

“The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.” –Bruce Lee


As Americans, we often focus on what is wrong with us, what is missing. Don’t believe me? Look no further than in advertising: “look younger” “ski better” and you’ll begin to notice the want.

You say; “I’m going to learn how to do a backscratcher” which suggests you have no backscratcher, you're lacking that skill, but would like one. Women’s-only sports clinics are notorious for this phenomenon- they offer to “help women become empowered” which suggests women lack power and therefore need to find it. That’s why I avoid most women’s only clinics.

In Zen, we don’t practice in order to attain enlightenment. That’d be like rubbing two tiles together in order to make a mirror. The more we effort, the further away it becomes. The only thing we can do is to make spacious a part of us in which enlightenment can now enter.

Another way of putting it: in Indonesia, a village master will not “pray for fish” instead he will “Pray Fish.” Notice the difference.

Like an artist who carves a brilliant work of art out of a stone block- the art was already in there, the artist just unleashes it. “I’m going to give myself access to a backscratcher” is honoring that the back scratcher already exists in you. You just need to open the space for which it can enter.

Sounds hokey, I know, and if anyone were to talk like that around me I’d want to barf. But at least anchor this in your heart as anther possibility for spaciousness...

Perhaps that’s worth talking funny for...