Here at the frontier, the leaves fall like rain. Although my neighbors are all barbarians, and you, you are a thousand miles away, there are still two cups at my table.
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.
~ Wu-men ~
Thursday, January 01, 2009
The Last Shot
There is a post over at Zen's Sekai I, entitled The Last Ya ... '08. The author is a student of Japanese Archery (kyudo), among other things, and the article is about his last kyudo class of the year.
It is their custom that each of the students fires off one last arrow ("ya" in Japanese) to sum up and let go of the expiring year. With that last shot, you are giving up your disappointments and frustrations; and giving yourself a clean slate with which to begin the new year.
What a wonderful concept.
I don't think those of us who don't practice archery need be left out. Whatever form your practice takes, perhaps dedicate yourself one time to summarizing and letting go of 2008, so you can move forward cleanly into 2009.
Please pay Zen's Sekai I a visit. It's an article worth reading.
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