Resolving Life’s Contradictions

It must seem sometimes that life deliberately conspires to challenge, confuse and contradict our expectations and our best-laid plans. Does that sound familiar to you? We expend vast amounts of time, energy and resources in the pursuit of our goals and dreams only to run headlong into unexpected dead ends and disappointments. It’s as if life is playing a complex joke on us and toying with our very personal sense of self-importance. Are we really nothing more than the playthings and amusements of the immortal gods, a conclusion often repeated by the ancient classical writers? And is there any way for us to resolve the paradox of living our lives with such intensity only to face the inevitable encounter with our own mortality? There are many ways to answer this question but the issue might be appropriately addressed with an example from the noble traditions of Zen.

An ancient tale from Japan tells us about two venerable but aged Zen masters who ventured out one day into a snow storm. The two stooped and aged men decided to gather snow in a wooden bucket and carry it to a well with the simple purpose of filling it, an impossible task that enshrined the futility of human activity. Yet, despite this knowledge, they persisted with their chosen task, laughing like children at the absurdity of their actions, their sandaled feet moving like synchronized, hopping rabbits through the falling snow. Yet, there was joy in their hearts because they understood exactly what they were doing. The profound knowledge of the nature of reality could not prevent them from exerting themselves with laughter in an exhausting activity that had no ultimate purpose beyond their mischievous willingness to engage completely in the dance of life.

Though we might feel constrained and frustrated as we follow the demands of our daily round of responsibilities, we can engage in the day’s activities with awareness, with a complete willingness to put our hearts into our tasks, to rejoice in the sensation of being fully alive in the moment. The Zen masters recognised that everything is ultimately absurd yet they chose to bring joy, laughter and celebration to each moment. This is truly liberating. Life then is not a question of escaping our work and responsibilities. It’s an invitation to enter fully into the moment and discover a state of consciousness that transforms our mundane experiences into something sacred.

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