Good morning!
Suddenly the air turned cool, almost chilly, as if out of the hot dry weather
the height of autumn has already arrived, though abnormal climate incidents –
typhoon, flooding, drought, etc. – rage in other places. Soon we will be able to see
the renowned full moon shining in the clear sky. We say “autumn of high sky
with horses fattening,” because of the dry air. The Sino-Japanese character for
aki (autumn, 秋) shows plants with fire（禾＋火).
Just a couple of days of dry hot weather without watering has caused plants with
shallow roots or a poor root system to die. Dry weather and a busy schedule without
watering made me lose germination of sown seeds and sprouted veggies. With the
irrigation system, however, I am harvesting veggies and fruits – sometimes a tiny fig
or pears, but very sweet. I found a lot of radishes, self seeding and propagating
naturally unlike failing artificial sowing and transplanting.
I have been posting Dogen’s Doei, Poems in the Way, which I shared with friends in
a couple of groups for peace, etc. The poems received a good reception with
“Beautiful!” “I’ve never thought of waka, Japanese poems, having such profound
impact.” The Doei’s first poem was on Dogen parting with his disciples and this
world, followed by one on the renowned moon, composed just a fortnight before
his death. His last verse left to the world is:
Illuminating the First Heaven for fifty four years,
(I) suddenly springing up, break through
The Great Thousand (Worlds).
IIh!
Entire body, seeking nothing, falls into
the Yellow Spring (Nadir) alive.
He lived constantly illuminating the First Heaven, the Buddha World, the
Supramundane Realm, with prime pristine peace and prognosis like the full moon
in the autumn sky. He lived it breaking through the Great Thousand Worlds dead,
seeking nothing, and he died alive, seeing all. He saw and severed me-ism,
materialism, and militarism of all kinds in all places rooted in delusion, desire, and
divisiveness.
The Buddha was awakened to the fundamental fallacy of the three poisons of
delusion, desire, and divisiveness, acquitting himself and others in anuttara
samyak sanbodhi, unsurpassed right complete awakening, nirvana, unconditioned
peace, and amrita, unmoved freedom. He was delivered himself, declining to dine
on the dishes offered by others with poisons, not entering into the realm of anger
with the fatal falsity, fallacy, fall, etc. of the mundane world:
Better than the one who would conquer
Thousands upon thousands in the battlefield
Is the one who conquers one’s self.
He is the utmost of the war conquerors.
Better is the conquering of the self
Than the conquering of others,
And better is the self-controlled person,
Always in restrained action.
Even a Deva (God), Gandhabbha (Sprits),
A Mara (Death Devil) with a Brahma,
Could not defeat the victory
Of such a person.
Enmities are never appeased by enmities here,
But by non-enmity. This is the truth forever.
Those who are awakened never die.
Those who are unawakened are like dead.
Whatever a hater does to a hater or an enemy to an enemy,
Nothing does greater harm than the mind directed wrongly.
9/15/13
