Morning Muse 7: Stop dividing existence

Few Bhikshus in ashram used to go together every morning to the village begging for food. In the afternoon, they all got together, mixed everything whether bitter and sour and ate it. One of the Bhikshu divided his food bitter and sour separately before consuming. As time passed, this Bhikshu grew very weak, while the others, who ate just the same food, grew healthier and healthier. At last, he saw his approaching death, and in desperation asked others the secret of their vitality and vigour.

They replied, “you divided the bitter from the sweet, and so believed in the importance of taste. You did not allow the food you took to sustain you with its own inner life. We have not been fooled by the matter of taste, for whatever have been given, we have taken simply as food given by God, and it has yielded its nourishment.”

If you divide, you will be divided within too. Do not divide existence into good, bad, consciousness, unconsciousness, heaven and hell. You will lose your togetherness and will start falling into parts and not be integrated. Whatsoever you see you become, so drop dividing and start looking for one. You are nourished, because the contradictions are not contradictory but complementary.