Today I walked on one of the high mountain paths hereabouts, at times on steep snow slopes. With only open sandals on my otherwise bare feet, it was a challenging walk. Coming back down the mountain, once the snow was behind me, I could feel my whole body relax. With that relaxation, I became like a child, playfully hopping from rock to rock, happy to be alive.
It feels good to challenge oneself, occasionally. But it feels even better to relax after the challenge, to return to a state of ease.
Coming down the mountain also reminded me of the Zen ox herding pictures. After the real work of the spiritual quest is over, after the ox has been tracked and tamed, one can simply return to the ordinary world. Even then, though, there are infinite mysteries to explore in life.
