The reality of birth and death is that everything arises and passes away. One of the reasons why I love the Zen practice is that it is deeply focused upon the birth and death in each moment. That this moment will never happen again. And so the only thing that makes sense is love and tenderness and absolute attention— which to me is the intimate understanding that, as we leave the house and look into the eyes of our loved ones; and look into the eyes of our neighbors and baristas; that that moment will never be repeated. There is a famous Zen proverb, ‘Ichi-go, ichi-e’ which means, ‘one moment, one chance’— that’s it! To me, it’s incredibly enlivening and lively to allow that more and more.
Empty-handed I entered the world Barefoot I leave it. My coming, my going- Two simple happenings That got entangled.