Issue #18
Sacredness
I've got a framed quote over my dining room
table from the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nat
Hahn. It says, "In this food, I see clearly the
presence of the entire universe supporting my
existence." I have another committed to memory that
I say while washing dishes. "Washing this dish is
like bathing a baby Buddha. The profane is sacred.
All mind is Buddha-mind." The denomination is
unimportant. You could substitute Jesus for Buddha
and Christ-mind for Buddha-mind. What is important
is the underlying
meaning. Nothing is ordinary, unless we fail to
sanctify it. By bringing reverence to even the most
mundane of tasks, and by being mindful of the
circumstances surrounding that which we receive, we
bring a level of appreciation and care to every
little bit of our lives. Worship of our day to day
activities is
a wonderful way to enrich our experience and to
become kinder, more considerate people. Besides,
when you invoke consciousness and presence before
washing dishes, you're far less likely to break one!
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