The Secret

"Master," the young monk asked his teacher, "what is the rule for a life well-lived?"

"Brew the tea properly," the venerable Buddhist monk replied. "Make the room warm in winter and cool in summer. This is the rule for a well-lived life."

I've been working on part three of the rule. The pinks and lavenders and greens and purples of spring have been mostly replaced by blue and white. (Still need to move those orchids into different pots.) Blue and white quilts hang in the living room and I scrounge in my mathom closet for blue and white objects.

It's not really a big deal -- the pillow covers are all homemade (in years past) as are most of the paintings. The odds and ends in the corner cupboard represent years of gifts and some flea market or junk shop bargains. It's pleasant to see the room begin to feel lighter and more open as I toss out the piles of magazines and reduce clutter. A few vases filled with ferns cut from outside and the room is definitely feeling cooler.

Now for that tea!