One Zen saying stayed with me after today’s tea ceremony practice.

I returned to regular tea ceremony practice today after a long break. It was such a pleasure to sit quietly yet attentively in the tea room.

Every detail of the tea room made me aware of the season—the sweets, the flowers, and the hanging scroll. These subtle changes can be easy to miss in the busyness of city life.

Today’s hanging scroll read 歩々是道場 (hoho kore dojo), a Zen saying that can be understood as “Every step is a place of practice.”

We tend to think of our “path” as something separate from ordinary life—something we need to find or work toward. But my understanding of this saying is that the path is already beneath our feet, wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

What path are you walking today?