[blockquote source=”Ryokan”]“Keep your heart clear
And transparent,
And you will
Never be bound.
A single disturbed thought
Creates ten thousand distractions.” [/blockquote]

They say there are two aspects to our morning awakening.

The first is that of ‘no mind’—a mind unconscious of itself, free-flowing and undisturbed by the reality which surrounds it.

Like a stream, its waters slip effortlessly over the ‘jagged rocks’—never once pausing to consider how deeply their edges have burrowed. In time, it knows, that even the sharpest of lines may be smoothed.

Here, the mind is separate from our perceptions—it feels, it moves, and yet is never clinging.

And then, there is that of ‘fixed mind’—which seeks refuge amongst the I am’s, the I know’s and the This is’s of our world. It shields itself under the veil of preconceived notions, expectations, and desire. Our fixed mind exists to the exclusion of everything else.

And, it is here where the waters begin to slow.

Interestingly enough, the Chinese character for mindfulness, or 念, is comprised of two tightly interconnected elements – the top 今 meaning “now” and bottom 心 signifying “heart, or mind.”

In a much broader sense, it directs us to bring awareness back to the heart where it belongs.

Zen Buddhist, Takuan Soho once wrote:

[blockquote]”The wheel revolves when it is not too tightly attached to the axle. When it is too tight, it will never move on. If the mind has something in it, it stops functioning, it cannot hear, it cannot see, even when a sound enters the ears or a light flashes before the eyes. To have something in mind means that it is preoccupied and has no time for anything else.”[/blockquote]

Each day, we are inundated with distraction – and, their impact is profound. In that, we’ve been conditioned to feel anxious without them.

“Drop a stone in the water and what happens?,” asks Pema Chodron, “The ripples go out. If the stone is big enough, it can rock a rowboat on the other side of the lake.”

When we empty our mind of distractions, we become as still as a mountain lake.

The trick is, learning to let the ‘rock’ drop without the ripples. And, isn’t it wonderful that every morning – we’re offered space enough to choose.