Nature's Beauty

[Positive Change]

The story shows me the fragility of our perceived reality... the impermanence of our existence and the delusional and subjectiveness of what we think are our truths!

A simple yet profound story... what is also incredible apart from the actual story itself, are the perceptions and sharing one can extract based on one's own experience and journey in life. This really makes for a great Dharmic story as it makes one think beyond!

Thank you again Negra orquida for your postings

[buddhalovely]

For the folks who simply want to revere Nature as a direct Creation of some Great Mystery, Natural Spirituality does not proselytize. Nature-ism has no controlling, dogma spewing hierarchy, and has no organization other than the intrinsic empowerment, a Great Mystery Creator (Higher Force, to some) has so specifically endowed each and every particle of surrounding Nature. I believe that the more knowledge we have of Nature, the more enhancement our spiritual self receives and henceforth progresses to a more harmonic and positive plane. True Natural Spirituality is devoid of human control or man-made devised fear. Superstition should not be attached by mere human regardless of those who are foolish enough to listen to falsifying detractors. - By Ed (Eagle Man) McGaa, J.D.

In simpler words, why we love nature in the first place was because there was no human adjustments to it. It brought life on it's own and it is what it is when it represented the meaning freedom, peace and harmony. It wouldn't be beautiful if nature didn't take it's course. I believe that the Zen Master believed that too.

[Tammy]

The old man was trying to teach the priest not to be attached to the material beauty, ie the garden. The priest spent so much time and effort perfecting the garden, it showed his strong attachment towards it.

The second message was: impermanence. Even though all the fallen leaves were cleared off, it would not take long for the next batch to fall out.. change is the only state that holds true all the time.

[rossoneri]

I personally like the old zen master touched by shook off the leaves, to me he is teaching his student two things:

1) In life we were too engrossed into our planning and hope it'll turn out just as we are hoping for, hence with that fixation we tend to be disappointed if the result is not what we had wish for.

2) Impermanence. No matter how great a king is eventually he need to step down as we all know human being cannot escape the process of aging. It is only natural for the some leaves to be on the garden floor.

[Manjushri]

Thank you for posting up this story.

I think what the old master is trying to tell the priest is that the garden should be maintained the way the priest did it always, and not just when expecting special guests. I think the priest put in alot of effort and hardwork to clear up the garden within the compounds of the temple knowing that the special guests was coming. His motivation and intention to do it may be because the priest wanted to look good, or wanted to show the special guests how beautiful the garden is and impress them, but since the garden is within the compounds of the temple, the priest should make it look presentable always, and in a state ready to expect guests at any time.

[Carpenter]

It can be easily confirmed, through direct observation, that people’s behaviour changes radically when they come into close proximity with attractive or repellent forms. Whenever they come into close contact with something they hate or desire very strongly, you can see an immediate change in their behaviour and attitude.

But due to the law of impermanence, outer beauty would not last, it is only for temporary, so when we are so concern on the outer beauty, when it is lost, we will suffer tremendously, so I guess this is what the old Zen master wanted him to understand.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

I share the same sentiment with many of your reply on the lessons learnt from the simple and wonderful story. From the story, I think the old Zen master is giving a lesson on patience when he littered the cleaned yard with dry leaves from the tree. Maybe he is also letting us see the garden in a different view, natarually with dry leaves. And he is also showing us impermanance, that the garden would not stay in the well kept state for long when leaves start to fall. This is a simple story, yet so many lessons learnt. Thank you for sharing.

[bambi]

Such a funny story! Thank goodness the Zen master is not my neighbor. I would've cried if he did that to me. 

My view is that it has something to do with our perception on how things should be. The priest perceived that if he do a good job cleaning and maintaining the place, the special guest will be amused and praise him.

The Zen master on the other hand, knows that perceiving about how certain things should be is just in the mind and our senses.

Although Albert Einstein was certainly not a Buddhist, these statements sound much like it:

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'universe', a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest
- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectation for a few people near us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

This view has consequences when it is applied to whatever I call "I" and "mine":

- I am not isolated from my surroundings and other living beings.
- I "create" the world with my own concepts and ideas.
- The world is like an illusion: how I see the world depends on my own ideas/projections.
- This world is "my" film, "my" projection, I run the show, so I can change my experience of the world.
- I can change the world, if I start with my own mind.

[biggyboy]

A quirky interesting way to teach on impermanence for beauty will fade over time.  This is to say we should not be attached and occupied with how it should look or it should be to please other for praises, approval and attention in return.  Most importantly, the firm inner beauty/substance is what it counts.

My conclusion derives from the story as follows....

With the old Zen master shaking the trunk with all leaves dropping ...he is actually telling him that no matter how much time, energy, focus and attention that the priest put forth on beautifying the garden for others to see, it was just for that moment of time which is not forever nor would it stay that way. Superficial beauty will fade over time. 

In addition, he is also showing that there is no deep inner beauty that can truly attract the Zen master or other people to see.  Hence, no firm beauty or substance of the mind.

[biggyboy]

Many of the response can be summed up as follows:

1.   Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,
2.   Nothing is permanent
3.   There should be no attachment and to let go.

Without being too judgmental, there is certain amount of pride and ego. The priest wants his work to be recognized and praised. If his job is to take care of the garden, shouldn’t the garden always be maintained well at all times and not just for that moment ie only for special guests?  The Zen master’s action was to bring the priest back to reality, be practical and be down to earth.