A student asked his Zen master, “Master, what is the meaning of life?”
The Zen master replied, “The meaning of life is like a mirror. It reflects everything, but holds onto nothing.”
The student was puzzled and asked, “Master, what do you mean by that?”
The master replied, “The mirror simply reflects whatever comes before it, without judgment or attachment. It does not hold onto anything, but rather, lets everything go. In the same way, the meaning of life is to simply be present, to observe and experience the world around us without attachment or judgment, and to let go of everything that does not serve us. When we can do this, we can find true peace and happiness.”
I love this story. Oddly, it had never occurred to me what a perfect analogy a mirror is for the practices that bring us true happiness. There must be at least a dozen mirrors in our home. I will never look at any one of them the same way again.
Just last week I ordered a set of shower crayons. If you aren’t familiar, they are simply markers that you can use to write on the walls of your shower and it will simply wash off with a little soap and a cloth or sponge. On one wall of the shower I wrote, “Be Here Now.” On the other wall I wrote, “Stay Present.” But now I think I will simply get a couple of those suction cup shower mirrors to remind me of the same things plus the lessons of letting go and non-judgement. Bonus!
Check out the podcast episode…
Check out the Happiness 2.0 Podcast – https://podcast.edwardgdunn.com/
