Looks Like Lost

Patricia Masters

In 1994, while living at a Zen training center in Northern California, Hoyitsu Suzuki Roshi, came to visit. He arrived much later than expected. After greeting him, we went into the Zendo where the Roshi took his seat and began speaking. He began by telling the story of why he was late. He said that though they had been given a map, somehow the instructions were not clear to the driver and four different times on the journey they had to stop and ask for further clarifications and directions. Finally, a considerate postman led them directly to the Zen Center in his truck. 

After relating his story, the Roshi paused for a moment, then said, “Looks like lost, but… just went another way.”

On my own meandering spiritual path, I certainly looked like lost many times.  The journey looked a bit like a plastic bag on a windy day – up there, over there, swirling around, then getting stuck on a branch, and then off again.  At the time, I did not see that the various teachings and experiences were coming directly from God, regardless of what seemed to be their source. I did not see the journey as all of a piece, a whole woven from the parts, nor did I see the guiding Hand that led.

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