Good morning!
We have a beautiful spring Sunday morning with lilacs in front of us, red buds,
cherry blossoms, magnolias, daffodils – all kinds of flowers surrounding us as if we
are in a great ocean of flowers. This is Easter – Ishtar or Aster – the season of stars
shining forth brightly. The Buddha was awakened seeing the morning star. We are
part and parcel of stars – our bodies and brains are made from stars and our lives
are influenced by their movements. We forget the great universe of stars and stick
only to a small world of selves.
While sitting I remembered a Chinese poem, which reads:
The spring sleep knows no dawning,
Hearing birds singing here and there.
From the sound of the wind last night,
I know some flowers must have fallen.
This is the season of everything springing up, but soon we will see all flowers and
leaves falling. So, it is said,
It is easy for Youth to grow old,
But learning is hard to achieve.
Never make light of a bit of light and shadow.
While not awakening from a dream
Of grass around the pond,
Already the paulownia leaves in front of the
Steps sound autumn.
Dogen made a poem titled “The Original Face”:
Flowers in spring,
Cuckoo in summer,
The moon in autumn,
Snow in winter, clear and cool.
So, we need to witness our original face or original life, where we live our true life,
not sticking to small selves: me-ism, materialism, militarism, and money-ism.
Yesterday I happened to watch a scene of the movie Zen, the Life of Dogen. Dogen
gave his last words on the Eightfold Great Persons’ Awareness, just as the Buddha
did. He said that no one could be on the Awakened Way without knowing and
realizing it. So, we must practice it constantly, not wasting time, and settle into
this great ocean of life, limitless life.
His last poem reads:
Illuminating the First Heaven for fifty four years,
Suddenly springing up, breaking through
the Great Thousand (Worlds),
Iih!
The entire body, seeking nothing, falls into
the Yellow Spring, alive.
When we cultivate, we can verify this life – limitless life – in limitless light,
liberation, and love. So, before fall comes, we must discover the original face,
with flowers, cuckoos, the moon, and snow.
4/20/14
Note: Regarding the Eightfold Great Persons’ Awareness please visit: