Good morning!
We have fresh fall, clear, crisp air. We have now a clear crisp world after sittings. We have hibiscus flowers at the altar and around our garden. They all started from a small hibiscus bush behind this house that is now making hedges, seeding everywhere. Hibiscus is called Buddha heart, Bodhisattva flower, After-life, as the center of the flower looks like the standing figure of the Buddha. It is offered to him, planted at the grave, and used in Tea Way, wreaths, tea, food, paper, and medicine. Flowers last only one day, but successively all year round. It is the state flower of Haiti, Malaysia, Korea, Hawaii, Okinawa, etc. Flowers make anyone smile anywhere, any time, not only Mahakashapa.
Please transplant it in your garden. You will enjoy your cultivation and verification of it as well as your sitting going along. You can find the truth of life in it. I found a grape vine bearing a hundred and fifty grape clusters. I found all the pears and apples carried away, perhaps by squirrels. It takes time to appreciate flowers and harvest fruits, and sometimes they’re lost before we have the chance to. Sitting and stilling karma to see dharma is instant and never lost. Anyone anywhere, at any time, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, etc., can witness it, beneficial and beautiful for all beyond time and space. This is more and more necessary as human civilization is in a critical condition, approaching annihilation.
Nuclear holocaust and winter is the most imminent, destructive, immoral, inhumane, anti-life, un-ecological crime against the wholly wholesome world and way of life. North Korea and the U.S. are now threatening each other for possible nuclear war by or beyond their intentions. The nuclear weapons ban treaty was signed by 122 countries at the U.N. on 7/7/17. Nuke holding countries and those under its umbrella did not join (except the Netherlands, whose people pushed it). National, industrial, individual egos allow the use of nukes, but the egoless, universal prognosis (perspective/practice) does not allow it. It is clear that we must go beyond a small selfish stance for peace and truth.
Living beings evolved to adapt the life system and advance their advantages. Humans have developed languages and tools, sciences and technologies, to maximize their profits to cause nuclear disasters, climate change, mass extinction, etc. If this trend continues, we can’t continue. The sole solution lies in the clear cognition of its cause, karma, and concrete conduct of its cure, nirvana/awakening. Me-ism, materialism, militarism, money-ism (money:金: pyramid:金字塔); nation-ego, neo-liberalism, nuke-economy, etc., came from the triple poisons of delusion (ego), desire, and divisiveness (from karma), and must change to an egoless life-based heart network (net:網: Indri-net: 帝釈網).
13/8/17
Note:
- Bussoge (Buddha-heart as above translated) is interpreted by its writing in Sino-Japanese (仏操華), due to other references to Bodhisattva, After-life, eternal life in incessant change, grave, etc. (as opposed to the usual way, 仏桑華, interpreted as a small berry-like leaf), seems to derive from fuso (扶桑, a legendary land of happiness, where gigantic trees called by this name thrive and are often identified with Japan, are not related to hibiscus).
- The Sino-Japanese letter Saku (咲:xiao in Chinese) originally meant to smile/laugh (presently:笑:xiao in Chinese:warau in Japanese), but now it is used mainly for blooming.
