Nature

317. THE FLEETING MOMENT

Haiku, the three line poems that began in Japan but are now written all over the world, often take the natural world as their subject. The poems are strongly influenced by the evolution of Zen Buddhism in Japan and its emphasis on the transience of human existence. Thus, haiku often concentrate on the fleeting phenomena of nature, such as dewdrops, butterflies or flowers.

318. FIRM BELIEF

“I believe in Buddha,

The green of the ears of the barley,

The absolute truth.”

SEISENSUI (1884–1976), JAPAN

319. ZEN NATURE

In the landscape of spring,

Nothing is better or worse.

The flowering branches grow

Naturally, long or short.

ANCIENT CHINESE POEM

320. THE WORDLESS SERMON

Toward the end of his life, the Buddha’s disciples gathered on Vulture Peak to listen to him preach. He stepped forward, picked a flower and silently showed it to them. Everyone was baffled, except the disciple Mahakasyapa, who smiled. The Buddha said to him, “To you I transmit my Dharma.”

321. LOOK DOWN

“In the hope of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”

ALBERT SCHWEITZER (1875–1965), FRANCE/GABON

322. LIVING WORLD

“Those who have most power and wealth treat the planet as a thing to be possessed, to be used and abused … but the planet is a living organism … and each and every one of us is an inherent part of this very organism.”

LAO TZU (6TH CENTURY BCE), CHINA

323. MOUNTAIN WEATHER

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

JOHN MUIR (1838–1914), SCOTLAND/USA