YEAR OF ZEN: WINTER: DAY 34

Artist’s impression of protoplanetary disc

Q: There are uncountable letters in the teachings of Buddhism. To study this canon means the students life is immeasurable as well. Is this daunting or comforting?

A: I find this comforting for a couple of reasons. First, even with a committed lifetime of study you will never complete this work, so it is always there to be worked on! Secondly, it aligns with my knowledge of the unlimited nature of information and knowledge. Encountering people who don’t see this, and assume that they have arrived at some sort of “final” version of knowledge and truth, is incredibly frustrating and demoralizing. The depth of universal information that hums all around us is unfathomable, especially from the vantage point that is the raft of human awareness and understanding. We would all be well served to remember this and be in perpetual awe and humility of it.