by Stingray

One of my favorite Zen sayings goes something like...

Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.
After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.

More...

chop wood

Really, I think that quote should be altered to...

Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.
During enlightenment, I didn't want to get out of bed to chop/carry anything
After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.

I don't define "enlightenment" in the way that many do as some superior state, I just define it as realizing that there is more to how the physical world operates than you've previously been led to believe.

Once the realization sinks in, that this reality is not all there is, you really don't want to get out of bed and interact with the physical world anymore.


Everyday boredom

The physical world seems like a waste of time. It seems pointless. You just want to get to the "fun" stuff in those other realities, not this relatively mundane drudgery known as "everyday life".

Indeed, you wonder how others can tolerate it all. How can other people live such meaningless lives when there is so much more than this? I went through all of that for quite a few years and made myself pretty miserable in the process.

For me, there did eventually come a change though it wasn't an overnight change (for me, at least). There was no Internet, no sites like Inward Quest to ask questions, no channelled YouTube recordings to dip in and out of. I had to figure it out myself which is probably why it took an appallingly long time 🙂

What made the difference to me was to accept the fact that I'm in this "physical reality" place for now so I might as well Make The Best Of It

I made a decision at some point that even if I was the only person on this planet who had figured out there was more to life than the Wake-Work-Entertain-Sleep cycle - and I thought I was - I would still just Make The Best Of It.

I wouldn't care where my life led from now on, I would just Make The Best of wherever I was regardless. And that attitude did lead (and does lead) me to all kinds of wonderful adventures in the physical world.

So, if you reach a point in your life when you're faced with the question "Now What?", I would probably recommend doing the same...

...Make The Best Of It

The chances are that sooner or later, you are going to have go back to your equivalent of chopping wood and carrying water so you might as well find a way to enjoy the process of doing so. Even if you would rather not become sullied with the everyday drama of mundane reality, there is much to be gained from not running from it.

Eventually if you keep Making The Best Of It, you might discover for yourself that it is in integrating your new "enlightenment" with the everyday drama of mundane reality that the true joy of physical life reveals itself.

Just my suggestion.

I had better get back to that chopping-wood stuff now...and who carried off my mug of water?? 🙂

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