Heart Work


There is a story about an ancient emperor whose extraordinarily beautiful, precious vase was shattered. He asks hundreds of artisans over many years to put the shattered pieces back together the same way to make it beautiful again. There was nothing but failure. Finally, after many attempts he found a Zen monk with an apprentice. The monk agreed to try.
He collected the fragments and spent hours and hours in his workshop assembling the remains. Finally a beautiful vase was rendered and the apprentice was in awe.
After meeting with approval and admiration from the emperor, the monk and apprentice returned to their cloister where the apprentice one day came upon the pieces of the shattered vase. Alarmed he came to the monk and asked what happened!? 
“How did you make a vase as beautiful as the ancient one?”
And the Zen master replied “If you do your work from a loving heart, you will always make something beautiful.” 
I find this story encouraging and inspirational. Whatever our hearts touch reflects the beauty of love and care. There is also mystery here. 
Like the Japanese art of kintsugi, which affirms the beauty in reassembly with gold filament, beauty is both part of the physical and something metaphysical. 
God makes all things new, all things beautiful. 
As we emerge from these shattering times I will carry this story in my heart and hope for all of us to do the heart work to render beautiful images from the fragments. May tenderness and kindness be the binding filament.

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