Chop Wood, Carry Water

Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, we're going to talk about the possibility of changing our quality of life without changing our outer circumstances. So there's a Zen proverb that goes like this, "Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." What this proverb is pointing to, what it attempts to remind us is that changing all of our external life circumstances is not the most effective way to bring about true fulfillment, inner peace or awakening. So achieving something great, finding the perfect partner, having kids, getting a big house, being popular or famous, none of these brings lasting fulfillment or completeness.

The fulfillment that we seek is inside us the whole time. Now this is ancient wisdom. This is not a new idea. But now modern science and psychology concur with this message. For instance, Matt Killingsworth from Harvard University conducted the largest study ever on the source of human happiness.

And what he found is that internal happiness did not depend much at all on external circumstances, but rather it depended mostly on how present we are in the moment. The more present we are in the moment, he's research suggested, the happier we are. Conversely, he found that the more our mind wanders away from the moment, the more unhappy we are. Want to be happy, he said in his Ted talk, then be the moment. So if we can hold this Zen proverb in mind, we start to see wood and water all around us as a metaphor for the life all around you.

The daily tasks that we have to do that we may often think of as mundane, you know, the steps in a project, the little routine moments that we have each day, like drinking tea, petting a pet, talking to a friend. What this proverb reminds us is to slow down and be present with a steady awareness on each step of the way, rather than focusing on an end result. So we can focus on giving our full attention to each action, each task, and each moment, one at a time. So today, if you find yourself rushing, stressed, caught up in your head, maybe taking a breath and bring to mind the sentiment of chop wood, carry water. See what it feels like to deliberately slow down.

Just do one thing at a time, rather than focusing on the end result, savour that each step and each task. As you do so, just noticing what it actually feels like in your body and in your mind to be more present in your life. The more connected you are to the moment, the more happiness and enjoyment you tend to feel. I hope this practice offers you some insight, some inner peace. As always, thank you for your practice and let's settle in for the meditation.