In a world without mirrors,
Show day. As usual, he and his coworkers painted each other’s faces—red nose, white makeup, ruffled collar, oversized shoes.
This world has no mirrors. No one has ever seen their own face.
The curtain rises. Whether he stumbles or nails the gag, the audience laughs, and the applause is thick.
He slips offstage and returns to the dressing room, where someone has spilled a bucket of water, leaving an oval lake on the floor.
He stops and looks down.
The water simply reflects the bare bulb above and a creature with a red, round nose.
There it is—a panda. Is that me?
A voice inside speaks:
“Was that laughter meant for me, or only for this costume?”
No rush to answer. He sits, straightens his back, and counts the breath.
Do not fix. Do not judge. Inhale, exhale. Only that.
The heat of the lights fades, footsteps pass down the hall.
The puddle only reflects. The audience only laughs.
Meanwhile the breath goes on, and the hands stay warm.
He stands, takes a mop, and wipes up the water.
He picks up the fallen streamers and returns the props to their box.
One thing at a time, in order. When he loosens the urge to “put on a show,” the cloth is simply wet, the floor simply shines, the hands simply move.
Second performance. He trips as usual, drops the ball, and the applause returns.
Yet his mind is a little quieter.
“I am not only the costume. The costume isn’t the whole of me.”
Whether anything is reflected in water or not, the next step in the routine is the same.
After the show, the dressing room floor is dry.
He fills the bucket with fresh water and sets it back in the corner.
The world goes on reflecting what it reflects and letting what has passed, pass.
In the middle of that, one breath, and then another, continues.
Zen Notes
- Shikantaza(只管打坐) — Just Sit
Put performance and evaluation aside for now. Rest your attention on posture and breath. “Don’t fix, don’t judge” becomes a concrete practice. - Shūshō Ittō(修証一等) — Practice and Realization Are One
The opposite of “you’re only worthy if it goes well.” Sitting, wiping, putting things away—the process itself is already on the path. Don’t put yourself on hold waiting for results. - Shinjin Datsuraku(身心脱落) — Body-and-Mind Dropping Away
The tight link “costume = me,” “evaluation = me” loosens. Breath, movement, and the scene stand on their own. The strain of “trying to be someone” lets go. - Samu(作務) — Everyday Work as Practice
Mop the spill, pick up the streamers, return the props. By tending to one small task at a time, the mind tidies itself as well. No split between “onstage” and “backstage”—practice is anywhere.
“The content on ZenNow was originally written in Japanese and has been translated and edited with the assistance of AI for clarity.”
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