Nuisance or Nicety

Good evening!

We’re having a lot of rain these days, so going from the world of colorful flowers to that of abundant green.

Dogen said, “Flowers fall in lamentation. Weeds flourish in detestation.”

I think you have been working in your yards and gardens. You notice dandelions and squirrels rampant, being a nuisance. In Japan, however, they are rare, so they are very popular. They even appear in poems and pictures in school textbooks.

If our lawns aren’t too big, we have no need of herbicides and pesticides. We may change lawns into vegetable gardens or, as in Japan, include many trees, flowers, and moss in private gardens. In Japan, grass is used only in big places such as golf courses.

Anyway, when we sit in zazen, we can go beyond lamentation and detestation, likes and dislikes, worries and fears. So please enjoy a precious moment worth thousands in gold this spring evening!

4/19/11