carry water chop wood

This is a zen Buddhist saying. It is about how if you are just spiritual and you don't take care of your body and it's needs then you will die like many do meditating like many have and do still around the world.

You have to keep your body warm. You need to wash your body and keep it clean. You have to have enough food and good water to eat or you die.

Very simple.

So, when people go spacing off into the universe and forget to gather water somehow that is potable or forget to wash their bodies or forget to keep them warm enough especially in the winter, they just die or freeze to death (same thing) and that's all their is to it.

So, if you want to survive to share your realizations with your family, friends or mankind, you have to take care of your body first OR YOU WON'T HAVE ONE!