Good morning!
There were almost no cars or people around on the way here early in the morning
this Sunday, but there are beautiful flowers all around – lilacs, redbuds, dogwoods,
crab apples, spireas, creeping phlox, and so forth. Spring is the season of all buds
and plants springing out and up. In Japanese we say moeru (萌える) or moe-izuru
(萌え出る), igniting, bolting, burning, and flaring out and up. Blooming, we also say
laughing – buds that are tightly shut loosen up and open with the warm sun
and compassionate rain. Only when they open and laugh can they bear fruit.
Yesterday I saw germination everywhere and a lot of seedlings crowding together,
so separated them to transplant and provide enough space for them. I saw trees too
bushy and crowded too close together, shading each other, and branches becoming
withered after decades, even though as tiny trees they were first well arranged and
planted with rocks. So, I transplanted a couple. Their roots are now grown and
getting under the rocks, so it was difficult to dig them out. I hope those trees with
their roots cut can survive with enough roots established in the ground. One tree
was trimmed, but the other was left untrimmed to keep its good shape.
Usually we cannot imagine how things will change in the decades and centuries to
come. When plants become too crowded and compete with each other, they damage
each other and even die partially or totally with less light, wind, water, etc. So, they
need sufficient space to survive with necessities. In our life also we often lack the
prognosis of far and wide perspective and whole and wholesome priority. Our short-
sights and short-circuits stop short in me-ism, materialism, militarism, and money-
ism, sacrificing wholly wholesome truth, peace, harmony, goodness, and beauty in
crowding and competing.
When I trimmed down the thick and tall branches of the burning bush in front of the
windows, all around became open and bright with good growth and a vibrant view.
If we stop karma conditioning and settle into sitting like great old trees firmly rooted
in the truth earth, openly receiving the goodness of the sun, widely spreading
beatitude branches, and deeply breathing the life air, we can appreciate amrita,
ambrosia of immortality, each moment and into eternity with flaming greens,
smiling flowers, singing birds, the bright moon, and shining snow as our true nature.
4/27/14
