Be moderate in eating and drinking. Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire.
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A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the inevitability of life’s beauty and challenges, which exist independently of our feelings towards them.
Dogen's quote highlights the complex relationship we have with nature and life itself. It suggests that beauty and pain coexist; while we may cherish beautiful things like flowers, their eventual demise is unavoidable. Conversely, undesirable elements, represented by weeds, can thrive despite our lack of affection towards them. This reflects the impartial laws of nature and serves as a reminder of the transient nature of life and the presence of both joy and hardship.
Themes
FlowerWeedNatureLifeInevitableBeautyTransience
In practice
Example use cases
During a nature retreat, to emphasize the inevitability of change.
More from Dogen
All quotes →In the assemblies of the enlightened ones there have been many cases of mastering the Way bringing forth the heart of plants and trees; this is what awakening the mind for enlightenment is like. The fifth patriarch of Zen was once a pine-planting wayfarer; Rinzai worked on planting cedars and pines on Mount Obaku. . . . Working with plants, trees, fences and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment.
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To start from the self and try to understand all things is delusion. To let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment.
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A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.
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Do not travel to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting place; if you cannot find the truth where you are now, you will never find it.
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Do no harmful actions, do not become attached to the cycle of death and rebirth, show kindness, respect the old and have compassion for the young, do not have a heart that rejects or a heart that covets and have no worry or sadness in your heart. This is what is called enlightenment. Do not seek it elsewhere.
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