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Chop Wood, Carry Water
Stone Riley
Acrylic on assembled pine boards, 14 x 14 inches.
The title is from the punch line of an old Taoist teaching story. One time, it seems, there was this bright young kid, quite enthusiastic, who took a summer off to hitchhike up and down the country looking for enlightenment. Well, it seems that he or she, this kid, very soon came upon a friendly looking greybeard older gentleman out beside a cabin doing chores and so of course the kid goes right up and lends a hand, grabs a bucket, hoping for a meal. They get to talking about the birds and forest and sky and all of that and pretty soon the kid starts perceiving a kind of radiant glow of cosmic joy around the old guy’s head. Every move the old gent makes is full of holiness and grace. So the youngster, filled with curiosity and admiration, jumps right to the point and asks what it’s like to live in grace. The old guy stops working for a moment, leans on his axe, and a smile slowly blooms across his face. He finally answers; “Well, before enlightenment you chop wood and carry water. Then after enlightenment you chop wood and carry water.”
And I like that little tale so much that I have re-told it repeatedly. Here's a couple of versions:
http://www.stoneriley.com/TOMW/WoodAndWater.html
http://www.stoneriley.com/TOMW/TheLureOfAdventure.html
Or here's the whole book: www.stoneriley.com/TOMW.html
And here's the home website: www.stoneriley.com
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