Zen

I woke up on Saturday morning determined that it was going to be a good day, despite my fifteen hour working shift. What do you know, it was a good day, and all because I made it so. I had a bit of help in that nothing unexpected arose. But I made preparations. I slept my seven hours the night before, got up early, ate a hearty breakfast consisting of my patented oatmeal, and remembered all of the little things I need to remember.

This reflection reminds me of my youthful study of Zen. There is an ancient book collecting dust on my shelf that teaches spells that work real magic. It is called "The World of Zen" by Nancy Wilson Ross, and it contains ancient lore that cannot be explained, defined or analyzed, which is the essence of Zen, I believe. The magic that it teaches is a spiritual, rather than a material magic, which may be a disappointment to the reader, unless he reflects that spiritual magic is after all the more important variety.

I plan to start reading Ross again. After so many years decades, I come to the book with a new perspective. A good author, or in Ross's case, editor, is like that. Put their book down, let it lie fallow for a couple years, and the second harvest is even better--and a third and fourth isn't out of the question either, with the absolute limit of repetition depending on one's longevity.