Uchiyama Roshi writes that finding meaning in life is realizing an impossible contradiction – that all things fall apart, but at the same time, we are also subject to the law of cause and effect.

This means that if we get hooked into what we’re doing, what sneakers we’re wearing, the art we’re creating, getting rich, getting famous, keeping our jobs, making our children successful, keeping ourselves safe, we’ll always be disappointed because these things always and eventually disappoint us.  Our lives will be meaningless.

On the other hand, if we don’t take care of business we’ll fail to pay attention to the consequences of our actions, and might just as well die of syphilis in a jail cell after spending all of our money sleeping with prostitutes.

The middle way is to accept this contradiction, which for me remains extremely difficult.