My newsletter is named after a traditional Jewish blessing upon encountering the majesty of a large body of water: “Blessed are you, our eternal G-d, Ruler of the Universe, who made the great sea.” BTS is a free, bi/monthly publication which shares Jewish and non-Jewish approaches to mindful, contemplative living. Some come from from spiritual teachings from the past and the present; others from my ongoing training and practice of Zen and Judaism. I also include here some of my own writing and news as well. BTS is a conversation, and I enjoy hearing from and responding to the readers.
“Who is content — needs fear no shame.
Who knows to stop — incurs no blame.
From danger free, long live shall he.”
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (trans. by James Legge)
Some things just won’t get done, and that’s OK.
It sounds simple, but it took me a long time to reach this simple understanding. For years, I only saw the merit of going and going. One extra essay to finish grading before dinner? One more email to answer going to bed? Routinely, I would push it on. The task would be done, it would be late, I would be tired, but instead of feeling satisfied, I’d feel like I hadn’t done enough, and I should keep going.
Not anymore.
Maybe because I am getting older, these days, by the end of the day, I feel that I’ve done enough, and it’s OK, yes OK, to turn off the computer and not do more. Downtime is no less important than running.
Allow me to share my practice based on what I learned years ago from Sensei Faith-Mind Thoresen (below), a wonderful dharma teacher at Zen Center Los Angeles.
It’s late, but you still want to do that ‘one more thing’.
Ask yourself, “Can I really do it right now?”
Ask your body – your heart, your neck, your liver, “Should I do this right now?”
Feel the question in your body.
Witness the answer.
And whatever the answer might be, appreciate what you can and cannot do.
This magical word – enough – works! The last few months have been very eventful, yet I feel strangely at peace. Teaching, writing, speaking, while being a parent, is a lot to balance. Each part of my workload wants me to do more.
I can’t do it all, but I can manage what I choose to do.
In Mussar, a Jewish spiritual tradition of mindful living, choosing where, when, and how to expend your energy wisely is a healthy way to manage your zerizut (alacrity). You learn to control its flow.
Earlier this month, May 7, I gave my biggest author talk so far, a two-hour event for about 250 students and faculty as part of the annual LACC Book Program.
I cushioned the challenge by slowing down in my other obligations to make sure I have enough energy to sustain it through the event. It worked, and the talk went very well.
To me, the need to appreciate ‘enough’ also echoes one of the morning blessings recited daily: the one in which we thank G-d for providing us with all our needs (“… she asa li kol tzorki”).
G-d made us whole! We need nothing else to feel satisfied. Nothing is missing.
At the end of the day, what’s more important – that everything is taken care of, or that your body and soul are at peace? I strive to go with the latter.
Have a peaceful summer!
-Lane
Related BTS issue:
Lane Igoudin | Author, Professor, Dad 