November 01-C, 2022

**Two Mallards in Flight 03/29/2013 Oil Paint Rendered — The Bog Garden, Greensboro, North Carolina**

What I know of monastic life
consists of chants and prayers,
sitting zazen,
daily chores,
eating and sleeping.

It's pretty much busy-work
to keep their mind off their life
in an "idle hands
are the devil's workshop"
kind of way.

How to fill the time
is every teacher-master's nightmare.

There is only so much to say,
then there is getting it/doing it
in ways that express/exhibit it
while "holding body and soul together."

It is boring beyond bearing.
Beyond imagining.
Beyond belief.

And is only done
for lack of anything better to do.

The monastic life
reminds me of the AA life.
After sobriety, what?
We go to meetings to stay sober
to do what?
Go to more meetings to stay sober.
What are we doing with sobriety?
What are we doing with spirituality?

Self-realization-expression-exhibition.

That is what our life is about.

Self-realization-expression-exhibition.

What are you doing,
regularly,
steadily,
reliably
that falls into the category
of self-realization-expression-exhibition?

That's it!
Keep it up!
Life is the opportunity
for self-realization-expression-exhibition!

–0–

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything. View more posts