Life has a way of educating us that is so direct and powerful that we may finally get off some of our restricted thinking. Of course, with the sledge hammer whacking us, we will have to take it if we continue to be unresponsive. But this is not what we are talking about here.
Life’s messages to us are continual and profound and subtle. The subtleness is what we are probably not paying attention to in our day-to-day.
At a very recent attendance at a wedding, there was this teachable subtleness. It was a Zen-based process that was used to unite the couple and their families. That non-traditional methodology appeared to provide the opening for great things to proceed.
The energy qualities in the vows between the couple were jaw-dropping spectacular. Despite it being a simple ceremony in their house, the authenticity of their Moment was profound beyond words. In that Moment, their commitment to each other was unshakable.
There were all the usual obstacles in getting to this point, that is, this beautiful wedding. The bride was on her third dress acquisition in the moments leading up to this climax. Zippers were not cooperating. Strident attempts to unstuck the stuck zipper were made. Finally, a family member rectified the unrectifiable. When asked how she did it, she replied she asked the zipper why it was stuck.
Why would this approach work over other valiant attempts?! Would this novel and unorthodox question really make the difference? And if so, why?
What happens when we move the mind out of the way? Contrary to the previous failed attempts, this effort succeeded because it created the opening of not knowing and not forcing. It is not as if the zipper told her how to do it. Yet, the zipper yielded.
In the movie called the “Matrix”, there are indigo children waiting to see the Oracle. A conversation takes place with Neo and the child bending spoons with his energy. “Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the Truth. What Truth? There is no spoon. There is no spoon?! Then you’ll see that there is no spoon that bends. It is only yourself.”
What changed in the transaction with the zipper was the relationship with the mind and Self. Using the mind and body to force the zipper in ways in which it did not want to go, was futile. Contrast that with using the mind and body to realize that there may be directions in which we cannot presuppose. To go on our routine ways without consideration of the infinite direction of possibility, is to limit and truncate unnecessarily.
Seeing and opening ourselves to the Truth about ourselves, in any and all Moments, allows Self to Be more successful. Barriers to our success are barriers we unconsciously add to our regimen. Powering through everything is not advisable. Conventional trying and doing do not yield the results we seek.
Zipping the zipper or bending the spoon requires opening self to other possibilities that include the humbleness of not knowing. The unzipping and bending of self occurs internally with subsequent external consequences. Connect Self and Be first, then do. Dualistic assumptions may be present. See the Truth.
edward. . .Being effortlessly Now 
Great stuff !!!
Very profound read Edward. I enjoyed it!