Jizo and I step out onto the Embankment when he stops and looks at me.

 “I want you to see how you walk.” I take a few more steps before looking around, wondering what new thing he has in mind for me. He tells me to keep going, but to use only one leg. I am to keep the other one firmly in place. After two or three steps my legs are already so far apart, I can no longer keep my balance.

 “This is as far as I can go.” “Not very far, is it?” “What are you talking about!”

Jizo rubs his bald head in mock despair. “To follow the Buddha’s path, you need to use both legs. The leg of Meditation and the leg of Daily Life Practice. If you use them together you may start to get somewhere!”