Chop Wood, Carry Water
How to survive when the world is on fire, and keep your sanity. (mostly)
“Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.” ~ Zen Proverb
Chop wood, carry water is a Zen Proverb that has many meanings. Zen Buddhists believe suffering is part of our human experience we must work to eliminate. As we heal our own suffering, we can heal the world. Enlightenment is the goal of the Buddhist path. It is a state of perfect peace where there is no suffering, also known as Nirvana. When one reaches Nirvana, their soul will not be reborn again into the suffering of this world. This is similar to the Christian notion of heaven. If we do good in human form, our souls can rest eternally without pain.
Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water. No matter how accomplished we are, how wise or successful, there will always be mundane things we have to do because they’re part of life. My list sounds more like feed the cat, fold the laundry, run to the bank, make dinner…
These tasks can be an inconvenience in our days, or they can be walking meditations. Household chores can be downright therapeutic for working through challenges. We can channel our…
