Before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.

After enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.

A young boy became a monk. He dreamed of enlightenment and of learning great things. When he got to the monastery he was told that each morning he had to chop wood for the monks fires and then carry water up to the monastery for ablutions and the kitchen. He attended prayers and meditation, but the teaching he was given was rather sparse.

One day he was told to take some tea to the Abbot in his chambers. He did so and the Abbot saw he looked sad and asked him “why”.

He replied “every day all I do is chop wood and carry water. I want to learn. I want to understand things. I want to be great one day, like you.”

The Abbot gestured to the scrolls on shelves lining the walls. He said, “When I started I was like you. Every day I would chop wood and carry water. Like you I understood that someone had to do these things, but like you I wanted to move forward. Eventually I did. I read all of the scrolls, I met with Kings and and gave council. I became the Abbot. Now, I understand that the key to everything is that everything is,’chopping wood and carrying water.’ and that if one does everything mindfully then it is all the same.”

This story is from “Chop Wood, Carry Water” Zen quote.

What do you do every day without complaint? Chop wood, carry water.

What daily practice do you have that isn’t easy but just challenging enough? What’s something that pushes you daily to better yourself? No matter how bad the week or good the previous day, what’s something you can do every day? What’s YOUR chopping wood and carrying water?

Chop wood, carry water.

As the parable goes, once you realize every job is just as important as the other jobs, you can have peace knowing today you’re doing the important work of chopping wood and carrying water.

Stop over thinking what’s next or what you should be doing. People waste years of their life planning how to chop the wood and how to carry the water. You are much better off getting to the chopping and the carrying.

Chop wood, carry water.

I first heard of this concept in Seth Godin’s The Practice. I wonderful book that I think you may fall in love with.