In Edward Espe Brown’s wonderful book, No Recipe–Cooking as Spiritual Practice, he writes:
“We could do well to study how we do what we are doing—what is the most important point?—because as Suzuki Roshi mentioned, “If I tell you something, you will stick to it, but it is not always so. When you stick to something that I say, you will abandon your capacity to study and investigate for yourself (page 63).”
So, if you really want a more fulfilling life you need to discover what that means for you. Try things out, practice, evaluate, and learn, and then decide if you want to stick to it or not. I’ll bet it hasn’t been long since someone told you what to do and how to do it and maybe even when and why to do it. I can see you shaking your head right now, I can hear you saying, “Yes, just 5 minutes ago!” Like he or she knows how to do it better than you do!?
Edward does not want us to get caught in what he calls, “the realm of thinking” rather than observing for yourself how things happen in your experience and using that information to possibly make better choices for yourself. I hear the little cogs in your brain turning around and around right now thinking of that last conversation you had with your boss, significant other, or coworker telling you how to do something. You listen and begin to think it could be faster, quicker, more accurate and much more effective, or fun—if you didn’t do it that way!
I love what Edward says next, “When you observe closely how things happen in your experience, change comes from you, out of your experience, rather than being implemented top down from your thinking. ‘Don’t put another head over your head,’ is a Zen saying (page 64).”
Or are you like Bartholomew in Dr. Seuss’ book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins creating the same old hat over and over! Are you sitting in the same old chair with the same old ideas one on top of the other over and over?
I can see myself right now in the mirror with a giant pile of hats from large to small, from fancy to plain filled with my own creations, thoughts, ideas, and plans. I don’t want to be like Bartholomew with the same old hat over and over 499 times! Once I “observe myself closely” I see myself doing the same old worn out thing over and over again. Only then can I throw away that plain old hat and create something new, innovative, exciting, and adventurous!
Maybe at onetime in the past “it was always so” but now—not so much! Now I might need to make a better or different choice for myself. What hat are you wearing today? What hat do you wish you were wearing today?
The poem is written by Flose Boursiquot and taken from her incredible book Close Your Eyes, Now Breathe.” The picture was taken on July 30th in Delray Beach, FL at the “Families Belong Together” rally sponsored by 