"Life is a journey, a process. Like mountain climbing, every step is meaningful and we should enjoy each moment of the process. We do not have to rush to the peak of the mountain to get the best view. Many times the clouds obscure our view from the peak anyway.
"Climbing itself is the journey. Climbing itself is the goal. A Zen master said, 'Each day is a journey and the journey itself is home.' Similarly, Zen Master Yun Men spoke the mystery of the universal truth when he said, 'Every day is a good day.'
"If we know the truth and the meaning of the present moment, our lives will be far freer and filled with abundance.
"Many times we refuse to let the ebb and flow of life be what it is. We continually tie our existence to some fixed idea of how this or that should be. This 'picking and choosing' attitude deprives us of freedom, and because of this attitude, the scope of our freedom becomes much more limited. This 'picking and choosing' attitude shackles us, and it becomes an obstacle to our liberation.
"Seng Tsan, the Third Patriarch of Zen Buddhism, wrote:
" 'The Great Way is not difficult
for those who have no preferences.
When love and hatred are both absent
Everything becomes clear and undisguised.
Make the smallest distinction however
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.
If you wish to see the truth,
then hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is a disease of the mind.'
"We should not struggle against situations that we cannot change. 'Not struggling' does not mean accepting things passively or doing nothing to improve our situation. 'Not struggling' means breaking the barrier of dualistic thoughts, freeing ourselves from fixed ideas or expectations, and coming back to reality.
"There are many situations mat are difficult to accept as they are, and we can make a great effort to change or improve these situations. However, we should learn to enjoy each moment until the final goal is reached. This is the way of living in reality. This is the path to enjoyment of the present moment."
