One of the practices in the kitchen at the Zen Center is to wash, towel-dry, and put used dishes back where they belong (it’s part of the “leave no trace” training). Other residents occasionally left their dishes in the sink, so I did what I thought was the “right thing” to do and put them back. The Temple Keeper saw me doing it one day and gave me “the look” followed by “the speech.” “How are you helping them with their practice if you do that?” she asked. “Leave the dishes for them to see when they return.” It was interesting to understand that even an act of kindness could have a negative
...more
