Chop wood, carry water
Daniel | May 29, 2008There’s an old proverb, it goes something like this. A Zen Master was asked how his life changed when he became enlightened. He replied “Well, before enlightenment, I would carry water and chop wood. After I became enlightened, I carry water, and chop wood.”
It’s an interesting statement to meditate upon. What I’m going to write next is just my take on this, I don’t claim that I’m right or wrong, just that my conclusions means something to me.
The subtle subtext is that before he became enlightened, he did those things because he was told to, without understanding why. Once he became enlightened, he understood that those were the things that needed to be done. Buddhism is both straight forward and convoluted. It’s this duality, perhaps, that I find appealing. Buddhism asks us to accept and embrace our own duality in order to transcend our duality. The irony is that once we do transcend our duality, what we do is what we’ve always done. We just do it differently. I think I’m more confused now than when I started writing this, so I hope I’m not being too convoluted.
Another quote that means the same thing (and I love both of these quotes) is “If you understand, then things are just as they are. If you do not understand, then things are just as they are.” The problem isn’t reality, the problem is our perception. We can’t accept what we don’t perceive correctly, or, if you prefer, we can’t perceive correctly that which we haven’t accepted. I think it can (and often does) work both ways. Pretty much all of the problems I have in life are much more the result of my perception (or lack of acceptance) of the way things are, rather than being the result of the way things actually are.
This has been a fun exercise in mental gymnastics, but what’s the payoff? For me, it’s this:
When I find myself fighting the flow, I remind myself that what I should be doing is carrying water, and chopping wood. Even when (perhaps especially when) I don’t yet understand the why.
What I find interesting about Buddhism is the primary goal,
Ketjak | June 2, 2008 | 9:53 amWhat I find interesting about Buddhism is the primary goal, “the end of suffering.” Suffering, essentially, is caused by the desire for anything - stuff, status, life, death and whatever else one can want. Not that this should be interpreted as cynical, but that is a fine way to make one content with a life comprised of simply carrying water and chopping wood, Or bending over a rice paddy until the sun goes down. Or pulling weeds from a roy of soy beans.
Now, bing that there really wasn’t much choice in the matter, that is ultimately good for the people doing that labor. However, it certainly does work out for the rich, against whom most of the envy and following resentment caused by that desire is applied. They have a lot to lose if the masses don’t buy good ol’ Sid’s lessons. (Or perhaps they have nothing to lose… )
Again, I am not trying to say that Buddhism is a fine tool to oppress poor workers on whose backs the rich live, nor am I saying that being rich will make one happy. It can work that way, and it can work as it is intended by Buddhists.
The above is intended as a topic for meditation related to the same issue.
That said, the word “just” seems to change meaning in your post. “If you understand, then things are just as they are. If you do not understand, then things are just as they are.”
You make some excellent points. Were you aware that
Daniel | June 2, 2008 | 10:59 pmYou make some excellent points. Were you aware that Sid himself was a Prince? He lived a life of wealth and leisure - dancing girls and servants, all the luxuries money and power provide. He chose instead to live a live of noble poverty, and to follow a path of renunciation. He was 29 when he left his wife and son behind, in the care of his parents at the one of the royal palaces. One of the things I find interesting is that eventually, both his wife and his son joined him - his wife became a nun and his son a monk. Neither of them had to, they were being well provided for as members of the royal family.
There’s also nothing in Buddhism that would prevent you from making an extraordinarily rich living. In Buddhism, it’s the desire that causes a problem. So long as you are not attached to the things around you, having them around is not an issue. It’s only when you allow yourself to become deluded into thinking you own them that problems arise. The concept of “right livelihood” says only that you should do something that reduces the suffering in the world. Being a doctor and healing the sick qualifies, and if it pays well, then there is no inherent problem with that.
I’ve always lived in the West, and while I’ve made 2 trips to India, I certainly haven’t spent enough time there to really get a feel for how Buddhism is practiced where there are more Buddhists (in other words, where it is more of an “organized” religion). What I know about it I know from reading, searching out audio and video on the topic, doing some of the basic practices and learning as much as I can about it. While I think most religions can be used to oppress, Buddhism, by it’s nature as well as it’s origins, strikes me as not very well suited to the task.
To chop wood and carry water so that your basic needs are met so that you may practice the dharma is one thing. To chop wood and carry water in order to enrich someone else that is not living in a skillful way? That would not meet the criteria of right livelihood, and a Buddhist would need to find another way to make a living. This would lead to a pretty high churn rate, which would be bad for business.
I do like your interpretation of “just” in that quote. Buddhism doesn’t have a concept of “justice”, per se, because Buddhism does not have a divine law giver that defines a code of moral behavior. Buddhism has karma (cause, or action) and vipaka (result, or effect). While likely an interpretation that particular zen master hadn’t intended, it is an interesting kōan.
To "chop wood and carry water" is just a reference
John | August 7, 2008 | 2:49 pmTo “chop wood and carry water” is just a reference to anything you might find yourself doing during the course of the day. Before enlightenment, this Zen Master went about his day doing whatever it was he did, but since he was not enlightened he probably split his attention and thought about a million other things while…for example…chopping wood and carrying water.
After he became enlightened, he still went about his day doing whatever is was he did, but since he was now enlightened, he was able to pay attention and just chop wood and carry water without distraction.