I’ve been looking at this painting for a long time. It’s strange to say but I can’t recall which I did first: the inner or outer circle, the viridian or the ochre. Technically I’m supposed to load the brush with the colours and let the enso unfold in one stroke. I do that but then I feel compelled to do more… and we know where that leads, don’t we!?

The ways in which I encourage my suffering through poor consumption of nutriments are legion. It’s quite likely that I will be spending the rest of my lifetimes just on one turning of the wheel – recognition. Yet every so often, I hit an understanding of how I not only encourage the causes of my suffering but also how I can encourage a different choice. This is the second turning of the wheel of the Second Noble Truth.

In a response to a question during our zazenkai dharma discussion, Frank pointed out that the joy of practice is not about feeling a sense of whoopee when we become aware. It is in seeing that we now have the opportunity to make a different choice for the next moment. It struck me that the second turning of the 2NT is about attaching a steering wheel to the turning wheels! Now this buggy can take those hair-pin turns without flipping.

Buckle up and hang on! We’re about to hit the Autobahn of Awareness practice!

Genju

