Concentration; the 6th Factor of Awakening

This week we continue the exploration of the Factors of Awakening with the factor of Concentration, which develops out a mind that is calm and tranquil. In Pali, the word for concentration is Samadhi; a clear and focused settled back abiding, an undistractedness of mind that leads to deeper and deeper meditative states of absorption, and the ability to see things as they are with greater and greater clarity, insight, and wisdom.

In Buddhist traditions, developing concentration through meditation is commonly approached in two ways: 1) through single object concentration or “one-pointedness,” and 2) through momentary or “moment-to-moment” concentration.  One-pointedness focuses the attention on a fixed object like the breath, a mantra, a prayer or visualization for the purpose of steadying, quieting, and stilling the mind, much like a high powered zoom lens. Moment-to-moment concentration broadens the view. It cultivates a keen awareness of changing phenomena as they occur without getting caught by any single thought, feeling or sensation. Momentary concentration develops the capacity to take it all in, moment by moment with calm, clarity, and steadiness, like that of a wide angle lens.

Last week we discussed the Buddha’s basic teaching on mindfulness of breathing and its function for developing calm in the mind and body. What follows is an explicit teaching of how this one-pointed practice leads to a widening out into momentary concentration practice. It is from Upasika Kee Nanayon, an extraordinary 20^th century Thai Buddhist laywoman who grew to be one of the most famous teachers in Thailand. From her book Pure and Simple:

“The texts say to breathe in long and out long, heavy or light, and then to breathe in short and out short, again, heavy or light. Those are the first steps of the training. After that we don’t have to focus on the length of the in-breath or out-breath. Instead, we simply gather our awareness at any one point of the breath and keep this up until the mind settles down and is still. When the mind is still, you then focus on the stillness of the mind at the same time you’re aware of the breath. You focus continuously on the normalcy of the mind at the same time that you’re aware of the breath coming in and out, without actually focusing on the breath. You simply stay with the mind.”

Normalcy is the mind as it is; the ordinary awareness of what’s already right here, right now. It’s home base.[1] As the mind stabilizes and concentration deepens, we begin to see our thoughts in a more transitory way. Thoughts come and go, but we do not get caught in their stories. We become much more skilled at seeing them for what they are, naturally occurring formations of the mind.  The contemporary Burmese Buddhist teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya offers this instruction:

“When the mind is thinking or wandering, just be aware of it. Thinking is a natural activity of the mind. You are doing well if you are aware that the mind is thinking, but if you feel disturbed by thoughts, or if you have a reaction or judgment of them, there is a problem with your attitude. The wandering mind is not the problem. Your attitude that they should not be around is the problem. So understand that you have just become aware of some functions of the mind. These, too, are just objects for your attention. When you feel disturbed by the thinking mind, remind yourself that you are not practicing to prevent thinking, but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises. If you are not aware, you cannot know that you are thinking. The fact that you recognize that you are thinking means that you are already aware. Remember, it does not matter how many times the mind thinks, wanders off or gets annoyed about something, as long as you become aware of it.”

Whether practicing single object or momentary concentration, a practical steady mindful awareness develops as the mind strengthens and learns to settle back. This opens the door to samadhi, deep levels of meditative absorption, inquiry and insight.

“This freedom from distraction further induces a softness and serenity… Like a lake unruffled by any breeze, the concentrated mind is a faithful reflector that mirrors whatever is placed before it exactly as it is.”

     -Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 1994.

The possibility of developing an unruffled mind is very motivating to me. Experiencing moments of that kind of steadiness, peace and clarity is the purpose of practice.

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[1] Joseph Goldstein, Dharma talk on the Satipattana Sutta, April, 2008

Calm & Tranquility; the 5th Factor of Awakening

Out of the energy and exhilaration of Rapture & Joy, we come to rest in the settled stillness of the next Factor of Awakening, Calm & Tranquility, Passadhi in Pali. Here we are so far:  Stable and continuous mindfulness leads to investigation and discerning wisdom. This stirs up the energy and effort that leads to rapture and joy, which in turn open the door to calm and tranquility. Our meditation practice is then deliberately directed towards nurturing this calm through quieting the mind and body.

Best of any song

Is bird song

In the quiet, but first

You must have the quiet.

                              - Wendell Berry

I love this poem. Intentionally spending time in quiet places allows us to hear our own thoughts and notice the details. We need this time and space to still the noise of our lives, inside and out.  Meditation practice turns down the volume of a discursive mind, calms the body and allows our innate wisdom to surface.

“Inner calmness is a way of being that can transform our lives. Taking one thing at a time as our focus, letting the imperfections of life be, fosters a sense of the present, a contentment with the moment….As our skill in meditation grows, we can learn the art of letting go and finding a calm center in the midst of our changing sense. As we sit, extraordinary levels of silence and peace can open up for us….We can learn how happiness comes from a heart at rest and not from changing our outer circumstances.”

-Joseph Goldstein & Jack Kornfield, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, 1987.

Another way to access and develop a quiet mind is to suspend our penchant for living our lives swinging on the pendulum between our likes and dislikes believing our opinions as gospel. By loosening the grip on our habitual fixed views, letting go of the continual evaluation of “I like this and I don’t like that,” and not clinging to this running commentary of judgments, we give ourselves room to breathe. This is not to say that we need to relinquish our points of view or opinions, (we need discerning wisdom), but by releasing our likes and dislikes even momentarily, our minds become calmer, more spacious, and we make room for wisdom and compassion to grow. It also makes life is easier and less contentious.

            “The Great Way is not difficult

               For those who have no preferences.

               When love and hate are both absent

Everything becomes clear and undisguised.

Make the smallest distinction however

And heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.

If you wish to see the truth

Then hold no opinions for or against anything.

To set up what you like against what you dislike

Is the disease of the mind.

When the deep meaning of things is not understood

The mind’s essential peace is disturbed to avail.”

-from Verses on the Faith Mind, 

the Third Zen Patriarch, Seng-tsan

In the Satipattana Sutta, the Buddha’s seminal teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the following specific meditation instructions are clearly laid out for developing this factor of calm and tranquility. From the sutta:

“Breathing in long, he knows ‘I breathe in long,’ breathing out long, he knows ‘I breathe out long.’ Breathing in short, he knows ‘I breathe in short,’ breathing out short, he knows ‘I breathe out short.’ He trains thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body,’ he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in calming the [body],’ he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out calming the [body].’”

The sutta directs us to both knowing and training, a wonderful description of what practice actually is. It is one thing to “know” and become aware of the breath, and quite another and a little more difficult to “train” oneself to experience the breath as a means of developing calm, peace and ease. 

Thich Nhat Hanh adds to this instruction by recommending a slight upward curve at the corners of the mouth, a gentle smile. He says smiling causes the whole body to relax. Try it out and see if you feel more at ease, if it lightens your heart.

Rapture & Joy, the 4th Factor of Awakening

Piti is the next Factor of Awakening, and is translated from Pali as rapture, joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, rapt interest, or bliss. It describes a specific kind of energy and feeling in the body, mind, and heart that naturally and organically unfolds as a result of the previously developed awakening factors. Said another way, and going backwards from where we left off last week; out of sustained well-directed energy supported by investigation and wisdom grown out of continuous mindfulness, natural joy, delight and happiness arise.

In understanding Piti, it is important to distinguish between the rapture and joy that come from deepening states of meditative concentration and absorption, the joy and happiness that come from understanding and knowledge, and the delight and pleasure one feels as a result of the fruits of one’s skillful efforts. These are all forms of Piti, also known as Dharma Joy.[1]

Rapture is the facet of Piti that develops through deepening levels of meditative concentration. It is an energy that pervades the entire body with an assortment of very pleasurable, delightful, intense or blissful feelings. These waves of energy can be momentary or last differing lengths of time. The feelings may vary in intensity; sometimes tingling or vibrations in the body, sometimes centered in one specific area, perhaps the crown of the head or the center of the chest. It may be felt as pain or pure delight. Sometimes rapture can give the sensation of feeling ten feet tall, or as if there is an enormous weight on the top of the head, or a sense of joyful relief throughout the entire body.

While this may sound very intriguing and make you think, “Hey, I want some of that meditative thrill,” beware. These states are very seductive. If you’ve experienced meditative rapture, you know it can be completely captivating and steer you off course. With enough experience, you know it’s just another state brought on by conditions present at that time. If you have not experienced it, this doesn’t mean anything except you haven’t experienced it. That’s all. What is important to remember is that just like all other mind states, rapture is not the purpose of practice, but is an aspect and experience of practice. And it is temporary. Remember this when you’re feeling either exhilarated or frustrated with your meditation practice. It is just a passing state of mind. Good or bad, it will change.

Another facet of Piti is that sense of joy and happiness that occurs when we finally understand something, the “ah-ha!” moment. In those times, the mind opens, relaxes and it feels good. We’re happy, though it may be subtle. Even if what we’ve figured out is not great news, we still have the relief and even the pleasure of understanding. The contemporary Burmese Theravadan Buddhist monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya says, “You should be happy when you know or understand anything.” This is a very good reminder about accepting ourselves and our circumstances as we are in this moment. This is good enough now because it is the only now there could be.

The third aspect of Piti is the joy and pleasure that come from skillful actions; those that lead to increased well-being and decreased suffering, and wholesome mind states and happiness. Specifically, states of non-greed, non-ill-will, and having enough patience and awareness to not act out of ignorance or delusion. All of these states require a degree of letting go; loosening up our grip on what we perceive to be me or mine, and even on how we think things should be or want them to be.

What does it mean to let go and loosen the grip? Sometimes it can take a lot of courage to do this. It might feel risky to let go of some thing or some idea and move into the unknown and uncomfortable. But doing so is an act of generosity, and generosity is a very wholesome state of mind. Think about a time when you let go of some hard fought position, or gave away a cherished possession, or even made a monetary donation that may have been a bit of a stretch.  Did it give you pleasure or relief or delight or happiness? The Buddha taught that generosity brings us joy three times; 1^st, with the initial thought to be generous, 2^nd, with the actual giving, and 3^rd with the memory of our action. I think this is really true. Try it out for yourself.

 “Whatever path of action you find 

that brings good and happiness to all, 

follow this way 

like the moon in the path of the stars.”

-from Buddha's Little Instruction Book, Jack Kornfield, 1994.

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[1]Adapted from a talk given by Joseph Goldstein, May 2007. www.dharmaseed.org

Energy & Effort; the 3rd Factor of Awakening – Part 2

Last week we began the exploration of Viriya, Energy. Effort, perseverance, persistence, determination, courage, and striving all describe the various expressions of this kind of energy related to both meditation practice and our daily lives. Working with our energy and efforts with practice over time, we find what is skillful and leads to wholesome states, and what is unskillful, leading to unwholesome states.

The Buddha taught that Greed, Hatred and Delusion, (Craving, Aversion, and Ignorance) are the three unwholesome roots, (also known as The Three Poisons) out of which all afflictive mind states and harmful actions arise. This profound and powerful teaching is a mandate to consider how our energy and efforts condition our actions, how our actions create consequences, and what the outcome of these consequences may be. Do they cause harm and create suffering, or do they contribute to goodness, nurture well-being, and decrease suffering? In her book Pay Attention for Goodness’ Sake, Sylvia Boorstein writes:

               “I feel an invigorating consolidation of my Energy – a striving to be here now – each time I realize that now is the only time anything happens and that every now, disappearing just as rapidly as it arrives, has been shaped and created by a habit and – in its fleeting existence – is shaping and creating habits. I know that my experience of a peaceful, happy mind depends on developing the habits that support it. Since habits are, by definition, deeply ingrained patterns, and all moments are immediately lost, I need to enlist every moment to teach me about suffering and the end of suffering. Knowing that I haven’t a moment to lose keeps my Energy level high.”

This is not to say that we need to live in a frantic state of mind. More, that we need to know when to push, when to pull back, when to go for it, and when to let go, while keeping in mind that we only have so many nows. Gentle persistence is my favorite way of thinking about this kind of effort. Sometimes in my meditation practice when I feel my energy waning or my attention drifting, I think to myself, “gentle persistence, hang in there, feel the breath, gentle persistence.” It helps buoy up the energy and strengthen my resolve.

A friend recently told me about his experience of watching an osprey struggle and fight to catch a very large very strong fish as he watched from his kayak. After quite a battle and a lot of splashing about, the fish had outdone the osprey. As the raptor ascended and flew off in defeat, it shook off like a wet dog with a great and dramatic spray of water.  My friend said it was an extraordinary display of the struggle between intense grasping and deliberate letting go.

So how do we practice with engaged energy, effort and awareness? Working with the following four reflections can keep us keenly aware and present in our lives. While they may seem dire and urgent, they light a fire, and keep us on our toes, breathing life, momentum and motivation into our practice.

1.      The rarity and preciousness of human life. We may not think that human life is rare given that there are seven billion humans on our planet, but compared to the number of all living things, germs, animals, plants, everything alive, human life really is relatively rare. How precious it is that we are here, practicing, living a life.

2.      The inevitability of death. We all know we will die, we just don’t know when. And, we tend to not think about the raw stark reality that we will all be separated from everything and everyone we love.

3.      The awesome and indelible power of our actions. This is karma; everything we do makes a difference, everything we do matters. Ripple effects are real; all actions have consequences.

4.      The inescapability of suffering. Life is challenging, period. Sometimes easier and sometimes harder, but accepting that life includes suffering, and knowing that things will change, can help us move through the difficult times with greater ease and more wisdom.[1]

In wrapping up the discussion of the awakening factor of Energy, we can take a look at how these first three factors unfold. Pay attention, be curious, develop and discover your innate wisdom, harness your energy and direct it well.

The Buddha gets the last word:

               “Doing no evil

                Engaging in what is skillful,

                And purifying the mind:

                This is the teaching of the buddhas.”[2]

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[1] The Four Reflections adapted from Training in Compassion; Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, Norman Fischer, 2012.

[2] The Dhammapada, translation Gil Fronsdal, 2005.

Energy & Effort; the 3rd Factor of Awakening, Part 1

Viriya is the Pali word for energy, and refers to a kind of unremitting energy that arises out of the development of stable and steadfast mindfulness along with the truth discerning wisdom of investigation. As Sati is that which facilitates and enables memory and thus mindfulness, Viriya is that which allows courage, effort, and perseverance to emerge. It is also described as the kind of energy that shores things up. This is such a practical image. Imagine building a structure of any kind; add a little here, a little there, pay particular attention to shoring up the weight bearing wall. We are continuously shoring up our practice and our daily lives, and they require energy, courage, persistence and effort to do so. This is Viriya.

I used to have a rowing coach who would scream “Put something on it!” when our rowing was slow or sloppy. Adding some courage and effort to the energy gave us a better chance of maintaining an even keel in choppy, uncertain water. Our lives are like that; choppy and uncertain. When we apply energy and effort, we are more likely to right our boats.

The Buddha taught that there are the Four Great Efforts that are supported by this kind of energy.

1.      To enhance and foster wholesome or skillful states that are already part of our makeup. As an example, when generous thoughts arise, develop them further and act on them.

2.      To not get entangled in unwholesome or unskillful states that have already surfaced in us. For instance, when an unkind judgment arises, we note it and gently move the mind away from it. Let it go.

3.      To encourage wholesome and skillful states to develop. To tap into our enormous power for goodness through cultivating awareness and wisdom.

4.      To avoid unskillful and unwholesome states not yet surfaced. If we know through experience that certain circumstances bring about unskillful action and unwholesome states, avoid those circumstances.[1]

Here are the Buddha’s direct instructions:

“Herein, the [practitioner] rouses his will to arouse [or] overcome wholesome [or] unwholesome states; and he makes effort, stirs up his energy, exerts his mind and strives.”[2]

Once the energy is stirred up and available, we need to harness it and use it wisely. This is where courage, effort, persistence and perseverance come in. I think of this as a kind of vow, an act of trust, and the commitment to practice as the continual act of vowing; a vow that leads us to live a skillful, peaceful, wise and compassionate life. 

In his book, Taking our Places; the Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up, Norman Fischer offers some beautiful and accessible ideas on vows, vowing, and how they relate to practice and our lives.

“Vows are energies. Vows are aspirations. They are larger than life. Endless sources of inspiration, vows differ from goals, which are limited in scope. Goals can be met. Vows can be practiced but never exactly completed, for they are essentially unfulfillable, and it is their very inexhaustibility that propels us forward, opens us up, shapes our desires and actions.”

…

“The journey is long, but there’s no rush. Each day starts from where we are – where else could it start from? There is no use wishing it were otherwise. There’s an old saying in Zen: if you fall down on the ground, it is the ground you use to get yourself up. The vow uses the ground of our present imperfection and doubt as purchase to establish itself ever more firmly. Each time we acknowledge our limitation and affirm our vow anyway, we strengthen it….To live a life of vowing is to offer ourselves completely to our lives, with nothing held back.”

               …

“Vowing is like walking toward the horizon:  you know where you are headed, you can see the destination brightly up ahead, and you keep on going toward it with enthusiasm even though you never arrive there.”

To commit to practice, to come back to the cushion over and over and over again, we need energy, courage, effort and persistence. The same holds true for our lives.

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[1] Adapted from Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, Joseph Goldstein & Jack Kornfield, 1987.

[2] Adapted from The Noble Eightfold Path; Way to the End of Suffering, Bhikku Bodhi, 1994.

Investigation; the 2nd Factor of Awakening

Investigation is the second Factor of Awakening, and is one of three arousing factors as it has the quality of enlivening the mind. The other two are Effort & Energy and Rapture & Joy. We’ll discuss those two next week.

It is important to remember that these factors unfold naturally in order; each is conditioned by the previous one. Well-established steady mindfulness is the ground out of which investigation grows.  With mindfulness, we become aware of what is present, and with investigation, we look into the nature of what we find, the truth of things, the dharma. Investigation requires bringing an open curiosity into our meditation practice seeded with kind, nonjudgmental awareness.

“Investigation of the dharma means not settling for second-hand knowledge or adopting someone else’s opinion. It says ‘I must see for myself what is true.’ What makes a buddha is the courage and willingness to look directly and honestly into the body, the heart, and the mind without relying on or settling for what others say is true. Over the years of meditation, it is this quality that keeps practice alive.”

                                          

                                      - Seeking the Heart of Wisdom,

                                        Jack Kornfield & Joseph Goldstein

The Buddha was very clear on this point of finding out for oneself what is true, that blind faith cannot lead to full awareness into the truth of how things are. But it is through investigation for oneself into one’s own experience that insight and wisdom grow. Yet, the question remains. What is it that we learn from investigating our experiences? What is the truth discerning wisdom that arises? One of the core foundational teachings of the Buddha is that of The Three Characteristics of Experience.

1.      Everything is always changing. That which has the nature to arise has the nature to cease. Things come into being, stick around for a while, then change into something else or disappear entirely. This is the insight into impermanence, anicca in Pali.

2.      Life is challenging. For everyone. By its very nature, life is full of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, good health and sickness, ease and difficulty. When the mind is caught in the continual wishing for things to be other, or the grasping onto what is, anguish, fear, stress, or dissatisfaction develop. This is the insight into suffering, dukkha in Pali.

3.      Everything is dependent on everything else. Because of this, that. Nothing, by nature is made up of only itself. Any structure is made up of its component parts; the human body, a book, a tree, a flower, even water.  All are made up of parts that can be broken down into smaller and smaller parts, and ultimately it becomes impossible to locate an identifiable whole self or inherently solid object. This is the insight into interconnection, or more classically, not-self, anatta in Pali.

One of my teachers, Heather Sundberg, offers a delightfully simple and clear way of understanding the experience of the three characteristics. She says something like this, “Everything changes. Everything. When we hold on too tightly and push things away too hard, it hurts. And please, don’t take life so personally. It’s not personal. It’s just the manifestation of a whole bunch of conditions intersecting at any given moment in time.”

We learn for ourselves through direct experience that impermanence, suffering, and interconnection are universal, true for everyone everywhere. With practice and through investigation we cultivate the capacity to navigate our lives skillfully with wisdom, clarity, and discernment. And by knowing what’s what we can make wise choices.  With wise choices, we have more ease, with more ease we have less suffering, with less suffering, we are kinder, with more kindness, we experience more peace. This is a self-supporting cycle. Each is dependent upon and a reflection of the other.

Here is a meditation practice for working with investigation from another great teacher, Martine Batchelor, from her book, Let Go; A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits.

Questioning Meditation – “What is this? “

Settling in, assuming a comfortable posture, begin by tuning in to your breath. Breathing in, be aware of breathing in; breathing out, ask: “What is this?” When you ask “What is this?” you are opening yourself to the whole moment. You are not asking anything specific. This meditation is about questioning, not about answering. The questioning is open-ended. Feel the question in the body, the heart, and the mind.

Try not to look for any answers. No analysis, no speculation, just the internal gesture of inquiry. As you develop a sense of questioning and curiosity, try to remain stable and alert. Focus on the question within a wide-open awareness and allow yourself to be available to the moment fully. Continue with the questioning for as long as you like. When you’re ready, let it go and rest in the open space of inquiry. 

1st Factor of Awakening; Mindfulness

Mindfulness is deliberate non-judgmental present moment bare attention; awareness, presence of mind, collecting one’s thoughts, tidying up the mind for the purpose of wise understanding and appropriate response. It is the first of the Factors of Awakening because it is the fertile ground out of which the factors of investigation, energy, joy, calm, concentration, and equanimity develop and grow.  There are three distinct functions of mindfulness; 1) to see things clearly, carefully and factually, 2) to balance the mind, and 3) to develop insight and wisdom through the clear comprehension and understanding of what is skillful and wholesome, and what is unskillful and unwholesome.

First a little background. The word mindfulness is the generally accepted translation of the Pali word Sati. It is also commonly translated as memory, remembering or recollecting. In his extensive commentary Satipatthana; the Direct Path to Realization, Analayo, the highly respected contemporary German scholar elaborates.

“…sati relates to the ability of calling to mind what has been done or said long ago. A closer examination of this definition, however, reveals that sati is not really defined as memory, but as that which facilitates and enables memory. What this definition of sati points to is that, if sati is present, memory will be able to function well.”

Have you ever wandered around the house with increasing perplexity looking for your glasses or keys only to find that you’re wearing your glasses and the keys are in your pocket?  I have done both. When my mind is scattered, it spills over into my life. Simply stated, paying attention now makes information available later.

The Buddha’s instructions for contemplating the various Factors of Awakening are foundational and quite straightforward. You’ll likely recognize the pattern, as they are not different from his instructions for contemplating other aspects of mindfulness.

“If the mindfulness awakening factor is present in him, he knows ‘there is the mindfulness awakening factor in me;’ if the mindfulness awakening factor is not present in him, he knows ‘there is no mindfulness awakening factor in me.’”

Again the focus is to cultivate clear awareness in this moment, just the facts.  Knowing when the factor is present and knowing when the factor is not present. The brilliance of the Buddha’s instruction is that it does not require or ask for a judgment or opinion about whether or not any given factor is present, or what the quality of the factor may be. In fact, it is specifically not helpful to insert an opinion. Doing so leads to some level of reactivity, precisely what mindfulness is so adept at eliminating. This is a core aspect of mindfulness.

Here are a few poems from the Japanese Haiku master, Basho. They beautifully illustrate the point of simple unadorned awareness.

The old pond

A frog

Plop!

A green willow, 

Dripping down into the mud,
At low tide.  

Spring air --
Woven moon
And plum scent.

As mindfulness practice strengthens, a keen awareness of the body, the feelings, the thoughts and emotions, as well as an overall awareness of our experiences develops. The Buddha gave another incisive instruction for the cultivation of insight and wisdom into what is wholesome and skillful, and conversely, what is not wholesome or skillful. This instruction is a basic question that can be asked many times over: “What, when I do it, will lead to my long-term welfare and happiness?”  I have found this to be a foundational, provocative and illuminating question. When I sit with this, it takes me out of the immediacy of the story I’m caught in or struggling with. It sets my compass straight and accesses my deepest wisdom. Try it next time you’re caught, confused, unsure or struggling. You may find it quite helpful.

Another poem…

Being Here

Transcending down into

the ground of things is akin

to sweeping the leaves that cover

a path. There will always be more

leaves. And the heart of the journey,

the heart of our own awakening, is

to discover for ourselves that the

leaves are not the ground, and that

sweeping them aside will reveal a

path, and finally, that to fully live,

we must take the path and

continually sweep it.

-Mark Nepo