Insight on the bathroom

"A true woman/man, without name, age, or rank, goes freely in and out through the gates of the senses". 

This is a koan with which I often meditated. A beautiful koan. Because it says much about the things we link our identity with. 

This koan tells us something about who we are. Or about what we are not. 

Normally we say:  I am a woman, or a businessman, a yoga-teacher or an artist. Doesn't matter what you are, but as long as you are stuck with that, You can't pass freelly through the gates of the senses. 

It is as if you are trying to pass a small gate with lots of luggage on your back and in your hands. You try to push yourself through it. Pushing and pushing, getting even irritated because you don't succeed. 

When I am in the bathroom, I often feel  free from all the labels that I put on myself normally. And from which I think that it composes my identity.

It is a perfect place for me to sit in my 'own nakedness' so to say. Because it enables  to realize that all the things from which I think that they are mine, are actually just labels.

When I die, I also lose my labels. Often when people are very sick, and nearly escaped from death, they value the things like a job, big salary, house, a rank, not so much anymore. Other things become more important. 

So actually we know very well what are the important things. 

And we know also that they can even become in the way, when you truly want to know who you are. And when you truly want to pass through the gates of the senses.