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awakening
September 2007 
Reed Song of Spring and Autumn
Posted on Apr 24th, 2007
by 
JewelMountain
JewelMountain
"All day and all night, music,
a quiet, bright
reed song. If it
fades, we fade."
- Rumi
Tuning our lives to that most quiet and bright, most dark and passionately roaring ground note of our being, demands a very acute listening. A listening that can catch the reed song even in the midst of the most noisy, messy assaults of the ordinary world.
Rich wrote a poem called 'Petals' which reminded me that Spring is always intermingled with Autumn, and Autumn with Spring. But he wouldn't forgive me for reprinting it here
alongside Rumi. :)
So here's a story instead.
Someone went wandering in the mountains, and when he returned the Head Monk asked,
"where have you been wandering?"
The wanderer replied "first i went following the scented grasses, then came back following the fallen flowers."
"That is Spring Mood itself" said the Head Monk.
The wanderer replied "It is better than the Autumn dew falling on the Lotus flowers."
A teacher commented "I am grateful for that answer."
It never stops flowing....
A quiet, bright reed song.
a quiet, bright
reed song. If it
fades, we fade."
- Rumi
Tuning our lives to that most quiet and bright, most dark and passionately roaring ground note of our being, demands a very acute listening. A listening that can catch the reed song even in the midst of the most noisy, messy assaults of the ordinary world.
Rich wrote a poem called 'Petals' which reminded me that Spring is always intermingled with Autumn, and Autumn with Spring. But he wouldn't forgive me for reprinting it here
alongside Rumi. :)
So here's a story instead.
Someone went wandering in the mountains, and when he returned the Head Monk asked,
"where have you been wandering?"
The wanderer replied "first i went following the scented grasses, then came back following the fallen flowers."
"That is Spring Mood itself" said the Head Monk.
The wanderer replied "It is better than the Autumn dew falling on the Lotus flowers."
A teacher commented "I am grateful for that answer."
It never stops flowing....
A quiet, bright reed song.
Access: Public
A teacher commented “I am grateful for that answer.”
why was the teacher grateful for the answer?
hi Basho
aah you keep me on my toes! :)
So the teacher also commented “when you know what this public case comes down to, you walk alone through the red sky.”
Some teachers like being enigmatic like that. Some teachers are crazy. Who knows why they say half of what they say? :)
Perhaps Xuedou spotted Changsha playing with some traditional words from a Buddhist funeral service for monks.
Living and dying, dying and coming forth.
Dying into the Autumn of emptiness we must still return again to come forth, to offer ourselves to the Spring of everyday life, to all beings.
Spring mood may be just this weary, aching, happy, hazy everyday state of simply being what is, accepting it freely.
Maybe teachers and students like to hear that their hazy everyday state is okay as it is and appreciate that others teachers and students understand and affirm that.
Walking alone in the red sky is a good place to meet.
As Keizan wrote,
“Though clear waters range to the vast blue autumn sky,
How can they compare with the hazy moon on a spring night !
Most people want to have pure clarity,
But sweep as you will, you cannot empty the mind.”
But here i am perhaps just using the words of teachers. To show you my own response i'd have to get on a plane and come over. :)
I hope you have a bell ready to ring, to say, nearly but come back tomorrow…
Xuedou aside, i as a student am grateful for Changsha's answer.
How do you see it?
I can't believe that blatant plagarism! You're an evil man, expect to hear from my lawyers real soon … . *laughing, smiling* Hey Bro, how are you? I am feeling happy at the moment, at the prospect of getting work at a homeless shelter nearby, going to the gym and going to Montana and Canada fairly soon. Perhaps Finland too to see my big Bro (he actually is bigger than me too, damn it!)
hey Rich
I am happy that you are happy !
Having consulted my lawyers they advise me that the defence is something like this:
- Zen has a long and established history of positive honourable plagarism; what matters is whether the words are living words or dead words. :)
You are always getting on a plane bro. An international community of enlightened beings is slowly forming to cater to your questions, and of course to hear your dharma.
Are students Teachers? Or are teachers Students?
You can tell me when you get back from the solitude of the Finnish forests :)
Don't stay there too long bro… speak soon.
“when you know what this public case comes down to, you walk alone through the red sky.”
much better - after which he should have whacked him with the kiosaku :)