The Zen of Home Renos
I could make excuses for being awol from the blogging world though what have been excuses anyway? Justification, explanation, the whirring of gorilla thoughts when we feel we should have done alternative than we did. Wisdom lies simply in acknowledging what is. we have been preoccupied unconditional as well as phoning as well as stuff oneself the fanciful carpenter who is staying with us whilst he does the tiny reno work in the new-to-us house. It felt comfortable to make use of the dear friend's brother, from another island, to plunge in to the prolonged list of jobs we had for the brand new place, jobs which fell beyond the scanty skill set.
So with the tiny enthusiasm as well as the smidge of terror we invited someone we hadn't met as well as his two papillion puppies in to the home to stay whilst he worked, putting in doors, taking out shower stalls as well as walls. It has worked out swimmingly. He is skilled as well as quick, great association as well as easy to get along with. we recollect my Zen teacher saying when things went well: "it didn't have to be this way." In alternative words appreciate as well as feel beholden for what goes well as well as uniformly in your life. Too mostly we lend towards to ignore these things. We never think, "gee we am blissful not to have the toothache!"
And as always there is Dharma in everything. we get to watch my unreasoning tendencies, the tendency to feel the bit upon corner carrying someone we do not know around the residence 24/7. And afterwards when we remember, we remind myself to relax as well as just be the silly, foolish self which is me as well as to enjoy the brand new housemate with all his own fun as well as quirky details.
Not being the dog person we wondered about carrying 2 bustling tiny dogs around the residence as well as overtly they have been fine, cute, quiet as well as well behav! ed. we even found them sleeping in front of the Buddha in the Zendo the single afternoon. Before we could waylay the picture we had disturbed them as well as they got up. So we am guidance brand new things. we recollect the words of Patrul Rinpoche in "Words of My Perfect Teacher" when he lists the difficulties which sentient beings innate in to the animal area have. we do not be concerned so most which they bound up upon the blanket upon the cot for the tiny snooze.
A tiny glitch in an wall which got non-stop up presented the problem as well as over dinner we came to the compromise resolution upon how it could be dealt with, not what we had hoped for, "but sure the easy way would be okay, we agreed." But when we awoke in the sunrise we knew it was not the contain we wanted to make if at all possible. So over coffee we pursued an swap solution, asking more questions as well as we found which we could get closer to the result (less wall, more open space) which we was looking for. It reminded me which kind as well as thoughtful perseverance is the great thing, which if something is important to we it is value following each thread to the end. A big Dharma lesson for me over the years has been that, just since we decide upon the single thing in the evening, doesn't meant the emanate can't be revisited the subsequent morning. we lend towards to operate from "well we concluded to this, we need to hang to it." It has been the big lesson for me to learn, which we can shift my mind, nothing is created in stone. You can always pierce from where we are.
And we could feel so most gratitude for the carpenter's contented ways as well as cunning in his work. we feel really fortunate to have found such an easy, uncomplicated resolution to the work which indispensable doing. And so whilst we have been simply heading an typical life we do mundane things similar to scheming 3 meals the day as well as sourcing element as well as gathering indispensable supplies, the day is filled with Dharma, the dharma ! of worki ng with unreasoning tendencies as well as of feeling gratitude for an easy relationship with the skilled help. It is fun to hope for food for him as the arrange of offering.
What Dharma have been we finding these days in your typical life?
