Good morning!
We can see the morning star clearly. The Buddha was awakened when he saw it
dawning. We enjoy peace here, now, after sittings and service. However, the world is
distressed. These last few days Japan has been troubled by torrential rains and a
river breaking, with several deaths, more missing, hundreds isolated, thousands
evacuated, crops inundated. There used to be typhoons through the limited area
called “Typhoon Ginza” for about a month, but now they are year-round and
everywhere, with unusual behaviors like this time – the outbound staying along
River Devil’s Rage (Kinugawa).
We are seeing refugees dying in trucks, drowned in the sea, etc. It is said that
340,000 Syrian refuges are fleeing into Europe, and more than ten times that
number into nearby countries. More than double that number – half of the
population – are internally displaced people (IDPs) due to the civil war and ISIS.
According to the UNCHR there were almost 60 million refugees and IDPs around
the globe in 2014 – one in every 122 people worldwide. The world is flooded with
refuges and liquefied by wars and warming globally, a worsening world of wreckage,
regrets, and worries.
Due to the heat and rain I was not able to take care of my veggie garden well enough
this summer, but yesterday I worked there all day. Weeds and plants thrive rampant-
ly, fortunately, with more bees and butterflies. Recently I saw a frog and I had an
unusual guest, a deer. Decades ago I saw a red fox. Yesterday I cultivated the soil
deeper for radishes, hearing the phrase “radish ten tillings,” though I have been
trying to till little, use fewer chemicals, etc. I saw self-seeded radish seedlings, so
transplanted them. I sowed seeds of a few kinds of greens. I harvested honeydews,
eggplants, etc.
We need some time between cultivation and harvesting in our karma world. So, we
cultivate ourselves and verify the results later. Zazen, however, is the direct instant
way to witness cultivation and verification at the same time. Sitting still is itself
stilling karma and seeing unconditioned peace, nirvana, and unsurpassed awakening,
bodhi, which serves and saves all in holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and
happiness. This will realize the paradigm shift from a artificial uni-directional
pyramidal structure to an natural cyclical Indra-net of all in limitless liberation,
light, love, and life.
9/13/15
