The Zen of Wonder

Описание: I CHOPPED WOOD!
When a Zen master attained enlightenment, he wrote these lines to commemorate it:
‘Oh, what a marvelous miracle:
I chopped wood!
I drew water from the well!’

For most people, there is nothing marvelous about the everyday actions of drawing water from the well or chopping wood. After enlightenment, nothing actually changes. Everything remains the same. It’s just that from that moment on, your heart is filled with awe. Trees are still trees. People are still the same as before, and so are you. Life goes on, no different. You may still be gloomy or angry, thoughtful or reckless, just as before. But there is one big difference: Now you see it all with different eyes. You are increasingly detached from it all. And your heart is filled with awe.
This is the essence of contemplation: there is a sense of awe.
Contemplation differs from ecstasy, because ecstasy leads to isolation. A contemplative who has attained enlightenment will still chop wood or draw water from a well. Contemplation differs from enjoying beauty, because enjoying beauty (a painting or a sunset) produces aesthetic satisfaction, whereas contemplation produces a sense of wonder—whether it's the sunset or a rock.
This is the unique characteristic of children: They often experience a sense of wonder. Therefore, they deserve to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.