To Forget the Self

"To study Buddhism is to study the self.  To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to be free from attachment to the body and mind of one's self and others."
~ Zen Master Dogen


We are so often judging ourselves for what we wear, where we work, or who we spend time with.  It's easy to get lost in the micro and to forget about the macro - to forget to stop to put one hand to your belly, the other to your heart, and really just "listen" to your body.  Sometimes I find myself lost in a fog, concerned with how I look or with what I'm doing, rather than with what I think and how I feel.  In my continual quest to "know myself," I frequently (though not frequently enough) stop to take note of the things that entertain my mind, warm my belly, or fill my heart.  Things like the sound of my dog's snore, a bowl of butternut squash soup, sunshine and a newspaper, a good cup of coffee, fresh peonias, driving with the top down, charred asparagus, a scratchy blanket, twilight on the beach, my mother's hug.  I'd never presume to call myself "enlightened," but it's interesting to note that such simple pleasures - many of them intangibles - come to mind when I consider what makes me happy.  I think what Dogen meant is that it isn't the attainment of specific things (items, wealth, power), but rather the curiosity for all things that leads to enlightenment.  In a fast-paced city, filled with Facebook, Twitter feeds, and all the other windows social media offers into other peoples' lives, I too often worry that I'm not doing enough or that what I'm doing isn't "the best." But the thing is, the best friend is the one who has your back, the best man is the one you love, and the best you is the you who stops to smell the radishes.