Chapter 50 When the leaves fall, the plum blossoms bloom; when the leaves of troubles fall, the flowers of nirvana bloom (48)

On the way to Alishan, plum blossoms twinkle on both sides of the mountain path like stars in the sky. Everyone got out of the car to look at the flowers, looked up, spotted the plum blossoms, the flowers were like brocades, and looked down to see the plum petals falling like flakes of snow.I think of the ancients who said: "Meixu is three points less white than snow, but snow is less fragrant than plum."In the early spring of Baodao, how can plum and snow compete for spring, and it is impossible to find plums by stepping on the snow, so why not "step on the plums to find the snow"!

Only when the leaves are gone, the plum blossoms will bloom. The vigorous branches are sparse and slanting, the white plum blossoms are fragrant and floating, without the lively green leaves, what people's vision comes into contact with is the trunks and flowers, and the contrast between black and white, the resolute branches and the soft flowers , is a wonderful coordination. The figure of plum blossom always reminds me of Nirvana. Isn't the flower of Nirvana the drop from the leaves of troubles?What is Nirvana?In fact, it is not mysterious at all.And often we regard Nirvana as the supreme and mysterious realm, where we can transform into various supernatural powers, or think that we must die physically to obtain Nirvana...

Nirvana is a kind of extinction. The "Nirvana silence" in the three dharma seals just shows that the cessation of the afflictions of "greed, anger, and ignorance" is the ultimate cessation of suffering.Therefore, if someone says that he has Nirvana, but he is still full of troubles and sufferings, such "Nirvana" is a fool's dream. The Buddha told us that Nirvana is not in a distant place or in the next life, but can be realized in the present moment. Every time we observe the changes of our body and mind, we can experience the coolness and ease of Nirvana by letting go of troubles and attachments.This kind of experience is not a false request, nor can others replace or give it, but "self-knowledge, self-awareness, and self-testimony."

"If you act like this in the morning, you will advance in the evening; if you practice in the evening, you will advance in the morning." As long as you remember it, observe the continuous birth and death of the body and mind bit by bit, and live faithfully with the attitude of the middle way, you will be able to can make progress. As the eminent Buddhist monk in Thailand said: "The body does not have to die, but the ego must be eliminated. This is called Nirvana." To achieve "Nirvana", one must first remove the ego.When the afflictions of clinging to "I" and "what I have" are gradually eliminated, Nirvana is not far away.

Before Qingming, I went to Merlin on the nearby mountain for a walk.The branches of the plum tree are already full of green leaves and fruits, and it is another scene at this time. There was a koan in Zen Buddhism that stated that after enlightenment, it is by no means dead wood and ashes. Then, what kind of scenery will it be after attaining Nirvana?The plum trees full of vitality seem to provide me with another direction of thinking. (This picture is provided by Wu Xiaodan)