Raven 151: The Sabbath

The Indian Poet Kabir (1440-1518), writes:

Do you believe there is some place that will make the soul less thirsty?
In that great absence you will find nothing.

Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet.
Think about it carefully!
Don't go off somewhere else!

Kabir says this: just throw away all thoughts of imaginary things,
and stand firm in that which you are.

We come to Zen practice hoping it will show us a "place that will make the soul less thirsty." We can't help it. We must start somewhere, if we are the sort inclined to start, and this is where we start. Gradually, slowly, with many regressions and returns, the feeling may grow in us that there is no place that will make the soul less thristy. It is the nature of souls to thirst. Gradually, slowly, with many regressions and returns, we may throw away more of our thoughts of imaginary things, and more often stand firm in that which we are.

But if we are thinking that we are headed some place that will make the soul less thirsty, then naturally we would like others to also have the the satisfaction of such a place -- particularly our loved ones. So the question comes up: how can I encourage my partner to take up this practice? This is a thought of an imaginary thing.

Walk your path. Trust that others, including the most intimate others, are walking theirs. You might incorporate bits of their path, for the sake of walking together or because it feels right to you -- just don't think about how to get them to walk yours.

Case

After Porcupine's final response to Wolverine, Mole spoke up.
He said, "I have something quite different to ask about. My spouse is not the least bit interested in our practice. Is there something I can do to encourage her?"
Raven asked, "What does interest her?"
Mole said, "She likes to go over to the Little Church in the Grotto and listen to the sermons."
Raven said, "Keep the Sabbath."

Verse

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work." (Ex 20:8-10)

Remember, and keep holy, it says.
On this day, no work.
Questions about that.
Are resting and working mutually exclusive?
Assuming they are:
Does working preclude holiness?
Does rest confer or constittute holiness?
Or are rest and keep holy two separate assignments?
Would work and keep holy be the two assignments for the rest of the week?
Or is rest, while not conferring holiness, a prerequisite for it?
Is keeping holy then something we do that is neither rest nor work?
What else might be neither?
Is play a form of rest?
Unless the game is our work?
Are writing poems, painting watercolors, playing music forms of rest?
Unless these arts are our work?
Or (if rest and keep holy are separate) is play a form of keeping holy?
And thus not a form of rest?

Remember, and keep holy, it says.
On this day, no work.

Case adapted from Robert Aitken; introduction and verse by Meredith Garmon

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