7/08/2014

Being grateful to be able to live.

It has been a burning hot with mid summer sunshine today. I felt almost burnt with the sunray when I went out for gardening. In the daytime, I enjoyed talking friends abroad on the radio, reading books and playing cello. I have spent sometime in morning and evening pouring water to vegetables and pulling weeds there. Breeze flew touching and cooling me gently. I felt I was blessed with life again.

Centuries ago, the great Buddhism teacher, Kukai, who has spent years in the mountains in Shikoku for ascetic discipline to establish the pilgrimage there, told in the end of his life that he would enter the mountain and rest  there eternally. Could I tell that I would rest in the soil forever when I am dying? I really hope I could accept the last moment of my life as he did. Maybe, however, I should be confused and flustered at the crisis of my life. May I be able to remember I have been supported and have been blessed to live in this way at that time.

The blessing from our yard farm.

 
 
A part of our garden.
 
 


1 comment:

  1. A sensitive, beautiful, and thought provoking story. I read it to my XYL. Shin, if I ever get to Japan, it would be nice to meet with you so that we could share a few Buddhist stories. 73, Steve ZL2KE

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