Good morning!
Now we have chilly morning air, below 50 degrees. We had the news that Wangari Maathai passed away. She received a Nobel Peace Prize, planting trees not only in Africa, but all over the globe, not only physically, but also spiritually. She propagated the Japanese word “mottainai,” too precious to waste.
Last night I watched a video of a lecture given by Hiroaki Koide, who showed that the energy resources we use are so little compared to the energy the sun gives in a year. He showed that if we continue our consumption trend, we will surpass the sun’s energy – an impossibility!
Dogen said, “When I love mountains, mountains love me.” This is the same as what Ryokan said, “When flowers bloom, butterflies come.” As we learn and love, we know and appreciate more of our life, things, and minds, which create values. We shouldn’t and can’t expend everything for our selfish purposes – for getting money, or in using others like money.
Only when we learn things limitlessly can we appreciate limitless life, light, liberation, and love. So, our practice is aspiring for limitless life, light, liberation, and love, and appreciating and actualizing them in unconditioned peace and unsurpassed awakening. All these values are interrelated and interacting. What and how we love loves us so.
9/26/11
