A Sangha friend wrote me recently contemplating empty space. And as I walked the other day in the neighbourhood around Berkeley Buddhist Priory I started to compose a response in my mind. Here is something of what came to me.

You say you are surrounded by stuff, seeds as you call them. Seeds put there by you to aid you in your creative life. A potential garden of beautiful and wonderous delight. Twas a delight this spring to encounter your creative mind and stash of fabrics and whatnot surrounding you. And that was after your friend had moved loaded boxes to your downstairs storage ‘shed’!

You say you need to thin out those seeds to weed in order to give the rest space to grow. As you say, I simply do not have the space, the time and energy to nourish and bring to fruition all the ‘seeds’ piled up in my house. True, so true. I know somebody who would fill a van with your fabric stash, drive it back to the UK and start sewing. You have what she buys on EBay. I do however find myself wanting to caution you. To pause for a moment.

You say that the koan (problem) of daily life arises naturally and having objects fall of shelves and be tripping over things is a sign – to do something. (And I know you are ahead of me on this one already, smart as you are.) The sign, any sign, is not floating in mid-air it’s attached. In this case, to you. You who are living and moving around in mother earth, grounded and growing. You are the number one seed of inspiration without which nothing will grow. The sign just points the way forward. Thank goodness for signs aye?

SO obviously in general the daily life koan arising is pointing right back to the one who is the primary seed, the source of nourishment and of inspiration. Too often there is a rush to get stuff back on the shelves, get back on track, so to speak, when a brief pause will show the empty space (immaculacy) within and around the arising of the koan. Yes, one needs to do what needs to be done and the Sangha Treasure, the pole or pillar going deep into the earth must be seen, known and recognized for daily life watering to be effective. Constantly returning to that truth.

Weed away good Sangha Treasure.