Monday, July 27, 2009

Weeds

I was traveling to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan.

After searching for huge cedar trees in the mountain, I was strolling in the town center with my fellow travelers.

It was dusk. We were looking for a place to rest our tired body and have some nourishment, preferably preceded by a glass of ice-cold beer.

There was a car park, and looking down, I noticed a few weeds growing out of the crevices of pavement.

What a contrast, I thought. The 1500 years old cedar trees we've seen in the mountain, and these small weeds in the corner of the busy street.

Yet, they share the same principles of living. They are hopefuls on this earth. They are green, and thriving, or trying to thrive, as best they could.

Life. They are everywhere. Hope is the unifying theme of all that is living, whether it is the 1500 year old cedar tree in the mountain or the tiny weeds in the car park crack, or we thirsty bears looking for that refreshing glass of drink.




Weeds in the car park.

2 comments:

logatex said...

I was in Nara the other week too, and instead of the temples I kept taking pictures of moss. These plants are relentless. They bear a lot of weight and bounce back and just keep growing. I think there is a lot of Zen to learn from them, more so than in the buildings.

I took a small piece of moss and brought it back to Taiwan. I'm trying to grow it in my study, and if it gets big then I'll put some cuttings in the wild. Living relics from Nara.

Utako said...

Thank you for these essay and pictures.
I'm so encouraged and inspired. I'd like to embody these thoughts in my piece.

I sometimes think of qualification as the lord of creation if such a thing exists. I feel human is not enough to be called the lord because we have not yet grasped and practiced the theme of creation.

I like a thirsty bear that murmurs thus.
"Yet, they share the same principles of living. They are hopefuls on this earth. They are green, and thriving, or trying to thrive, as best they could. Hope is the unifying theme of all that is living,..."
Give him a glass of cold beer.