Good evening!
From June 1 in Japan people altogether change their dark heavy robes to bright light clothes (called koromo-gae, 衣替え). This makes them feel light and cool.
We already can hear the strong sounds of cicadas. Basho made the following poem:
Showing no sings
Of soon to die –
Sounds of cicadas.
Cicadas live in the dark underground for about a decade and come out into the bright world to live only about a week. They call for life with their whole beings and total power, not knowing their short lives. Soon after coming out cicadas cast off their skins to fly far and high. We call the cast skin utsu-semi, empty cicada (空蝉, emptied body, empty world)
Humans also crave for living with the whole beings and total power, not noticing their short lives. Our bodies soon become like empty cicadas swift to shift and to be severed.
Emancipation (mukti, mutti, vimukti, vimokha) is compared to casting off an old, tight, small skin to attain freedom.
This zazen is the gate of emancipation and emancipation itself, not only of bodies, but also of minds and all.
Before we finish our short lives, we had better be emancipated from our minds, bodies, and all bonds in nirvana, unconditioned peace, and unsurpassed awakening.
Hopefully people realize them and have the better world with free full function and the wholly wholesome way.
6/3/11
Basho’s haiku: やがて死ぬ気色も見えず蝉の声
