We had spent over a week cleaning the Pure Land College for the arrival of our Teacher, Venerable Master Chin Kung. This was not your ordinary cleaning. Everything was cleaned or organized or retouched or whatever was necessary to make it like new, but even cleaner. Buildings were swept down with brooms to remove the dust from the previous week's dust storm and the windows were washed. The gardens were weeded, the lawns mowed and edged, and the shrubbery trimmed. Plastic stools from the dining room were washed and the insulation under the metal roof over the parking lot was repaired.
Just as we all wanted, everything was perfect.
With one exception.
On the platform supporting a small water tank between our dormitory and the parking lot was a big electric-blue plastic basket. The houses, sheds, outbuilding, main buildings are beige. Everywhere you look is beige.
With that one exception.
The first time I saw the eye-catching electric-blue petrochemical marvel in front of the water tank, I moved it to behind the water tank and, thus, out of sight. Ahhh, much better.
But the next day the blue marvel was again in front of the water tank and in full view. (Possibly even from as far away as space…)
So I again moved it to behind the water tank. And again, this was much better.
Then, the next day there it was in front again. And so I moved it again. And there it stayed. Until (you guessed it) the next day.
On that day, looking at the big electric-blue plastic basket, I reached a decision.
I could live with it in front of the water tank. It really didn’t matter. Apparently it was where it was destined to be. And so, I let go. Not grudgingly. Not out of frustration. I let go because it just really wasn’t that important. And now, while I don’t walk by thinking “Wow, what a terrific big electric-blue petrochemical marvel of a basket,” I no longer feel an urge to move it either. It’s there. My mind is calm.
The basket, the basket mover, and I have learned to exist in harmony.
How?
By my not fussing with things that didn't need to be fussed over.