‘Each of the two views, both dual and nondual, enhances and informs the other. If we look at our differentiated, relative world from the realm of nondual awareness, each object in the relative world is rendered unique by the possibility of its disappearing into undifferentiated reality. One Zen master said that when he took his teacup down from the shelf, filled it with tea, and drank from it, he very consciously handled it with great reverence and love. In his mind’s eye, he could see it broken already, and so it assumed a preciousness and matchlessness that made it unlike any other teacup. This is seeing things as different from one another, while at the same time understanding and accepting that in the realm of direct experience, whatever arises shall eventually pass away.’ (The One Who is not Busy)

I think this follows on very nicely from yesterday’s quote by Suzuki Roshi. This is my favourite cup; which was given to me by a lovely couple in Canada ten years ago, and has associations of similarly patterned pieces from my childhood (it helps that it is called Cornish kitchen ware). I am happy it has survived with me for so long.