Just enough
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“Just to be you is enough, you know.” – Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
The temperature is dropping and I’ve worn myself thin again. I don’t mean to. I just don’t like going to sleep.
I’m listening to these guys right now. Named after a tiny town in Texas, Balmorhea (might want to lower the volume before clicking), has been the soundtrack to my writing (and my life) lately. I don’t always write with music in my ears. I typically write in silence. But sometimes the music loosens me up and gently coaxes the words out.
I often wonder, what do I possibly have to offer? What do I have to give? But then, is it really necessary to ask this question? Seriously, would I even think of asking this of my cat? A tree? A mountain?
Maybe just sitting down to write or picking up a camera – any camera – and doing the best I can to create something beautiful every day is enough. Is it enough? Am I enough? Are you enough?
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I wrote on my blog Monday about the insight I had looking at a photograph of a statue of the buddha. He doesn’t ask this question any more. Certain things need to be done. That’s it. And yet we create dukkha with our endless questions about our “worth.”
That said, I love the idea of figuring out the best use of our resources. But suppose that isn’t where your heart leads you. Suppose you’d rather just keep learning new things. I have always had a rule of not doing things that I’m good at doing. Is that enough? I don’t know.
Thanks Kim. I often get caught up in thinking that my worth comes only from what I can produce or offer. And yet, I wouldn’t hold other people to this, so why do I? I’ve discovered, that sometimes just being present is enough – just being alive. I think it was Brad Warner who said that, even just by breathing, without any conscious effort on our part, we help keep trees alive (or something like that). I like that.
Yes.
Hell yes!