Sense of Purpose

Student: I’ve built a really good box.  What do I do with it?

Teacher: What are your alternatives?

Student: Sitting inside of it, I could bounce off the walls; or I could lift the lid and look carefully inside.

Teacher: There are a couple of things you can do.  You can lift the lid and stuff the whole universe into the box until there is nothing but that box.  Or, you can take the box and manifest it as the whole universe.  Either way, the result is the same – no separation.

Student: How do I do it right now?

Teacher: You have the box, don’t you?

Student: Thank you for your answer.

Teacher: May your life go well.

(John Daido Loori, from Cave of Tigers, p. 212.  Weatherhill, Inc., 2000)