I remember once hearing the story of a wooden block which sat above the entrance to a great meditation hall. Upon which was written the following Tassajara Zen verse:

“Wake Up!
Life is transient
Swiftly passing
Be aware
The Great Matter
Don’t waste time!”

Each day, the block bore the strike of a large wooden mallet — an honored tradition to call the students ‘home.’

As the years passed, the block was worn thin through each of its ‘sufferings’ — becoming frail and weakened, until the once powerful words faded gently into memory.

Eventually, only the block, now transformed, remained; its scars now testimony to the depth of the teaching.

Nothing in this world is permanent, my loves. And as I travel this morning along the same wooded path, I see – that even the great oak must make way for new seedlings.

In this way, life and all its lessons become a gentle unfolding. And our time here – a fragment of the greater lesson to be shared.

Life is transient, my loves, and swiftly passing…Do not squander these precious moments into worry.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️