The Rest in Work
By Michael Erlewine
Winding down on painting parts of our dharma center, at least for a while. I painted the upstairs bathroom, both walls and trim a couple of days ago. Yes, I was on a ladder (not supposed to) but this was just a stepladder and I was careful.
As for furniture legs, it’s 4 AM in the neighborhood, and I just finished about 150 ¼-inch felt 1-inch rounds, punching them out on a drill press instead of a leather punch. Now all I have to do is coat them with Weldwood non-inflammable contact cement, each one of them and also coat the tip of a bunch of chair legs and let both sets sit for an hour before attaching them. I need to coordinate that enough so that’s it’s not a nightmare.
Behind the beyond of all the above activity I’m pretty much awake and aware of what I am doing, all the busy work distracting me like worry beads so that I sail on with my inner mind resting. Nice work when I can get it.
In the larger picture, as mentioned, beyond this handyman’s dream, I am quite still. And I am not looking at the stillness from within the busyness, because beyond all that outside busy activity, inside there is no ‘me’, looking, and looked-at. Just stillness.
Resting in the busyness of work.
[Photos by me.]
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As Bodhicitta is so precious,
May those without it now create it,
May those who have it not destroy it,
And may it ever grow and flourish.