The sun is out and there are hopes that it will climb into double digits today. Regardless, there are chores that need doing in our back yard and I am loathe to put on clothing if not 100% necessary. Cleaning off the deck is first on the list as we will be having company come in the late afternoon. Ordinary life means ordinary tasks. I once heard a description of what awareness means that bares repeating here.
A wise man, a Buddhist monk of some sort who had achieved full awareness was asked to explain what was in store for him by a novice monk.
“Before you start on the path to awareness, you carry water in pails from a well, work the garden, chop wood, and perform mundane tasks. The work is done unconsciously without any awareness of the mysteries of becoming fully conscious. When at last, usually at a ripe age, when all the mysteries of life are learned, you become a guru, a teacher.”
“But why are you still carrying water from the well? Shouldn’t others be doing it for you?”
“Ah, but that is the reward. Now I get to do these vital tasks fully aware of their importance. Now, I can be fully present when doing them. The water still needs to be hauled, weeds still need to be hoed, and wood still needs to be chopped. I may as well enjoy these tasks.”
I can’t claim to be fully aware nor fully enlightened. However, I can be fully present when doing mundane tasks. It makes life so much more enjoyable.