Aaron’s dog Chuy (rhymes with Guy . . . don’t ask) is staying with us.

Her way of being reminds us of a famous Zen teaching: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”

Be fully present and engaged in the action of this moment. Whether you’re eating, walking, talking, opening a door, driving, listening. That is your path. That is life’s invitation.

Whatever arises in your experience, honor it with your full attention.

Embrace it with undefended awareness. Note: embracing with awareness is not thinking about it. It’s not assessing, judging or analyzing. Of course, these functions of mind have their place.

•Assessing is useful when you’re selecting a 2×4 from a pile at The Home Depot and you want to be sure it’s straight.

•Judging can be helpful too—in the right circumstances.

•Analyzing works well when the task at hand requires…um…analysis.

Thinking isn’t the enemy.

Meditation isn’t a practice of getting rid of thinking. Trying to still the mind is just another idea; another way to assess, judge and analyze…without any useful result. Let thoughts be; they come and go on their own.

Chuy offers us another path: return to the immediacy of this moment. Woof.

Love & Shanti,

E & D

Relephant read:

The Power of Not-Knowing.

~

Author: Eric Klein

Editor: Travis May

Photos: Author’s Own