Chapter 55 When the persimmons are red, what is the maturity of life? (53)

I was a monk for the first time and entered the editing room to work. The seat was facing the back mountain by the window.Whenever the north wind blows, a persimmon tree on the hillside loses all its green leaves, and three or two bright red fruits hang alone on the withered branches.A lonely and lonely atmosphere gradually spread to my window when the tumultuous summer and the harvest autumn passed away. In the cold and snowy day, Jia Baoyu came to the bow of the boat with bare head and bare feet, wearing a cloak of scarlet felt, bowed down, and bid farewell to his father Jia Zheng on the boat... Aren't the few spots of bright red among the dead trees and ash among the cold mountains and forests, just like a scarlet figure floating away in the silvery white land, bidding farewell to the common dust?It is indeed "it seems that all the birds are devoured and thrown into the forest, and a piece of white falls, the earth is so clean"!

Said: "Floating life is very hard work, the grand banquet ends at the end, sorrow and joy are like dreams, ancient and modern dreams are all absurd"; Who can hide?" Resolutely staying away from the world of mortals, as a newcomer to Buddhism, every time I stare at the tomatoes on the mountain, I always feel that I also have such a confused state of mind. Later, when I moved to the new editing room, the persimmon tree no longer came into view.Under the edification of the monastic life, I gradually found the balance between being born and entering the world.At the same time, I accidentally discovered that the temple where I have lived for many years is next to the famous hometown of persimmons, and persimmon trees are planted everywhere.

On the opposite side of the valley named "Persimmon Foot", the persimmon trees by the stream are full of fragrant white flowers in spring, green fruits in midsummer, and full of persimmon trees in late autumn. send.The scenery of persimmon trees in four seasons is so changeable and rich!Is it just the deserted scenery of the back mountain? For me, the reality of impermanence in the world has become more and more clear, and I have gotten rid of the sadness and sorrow of "flying birds to the forest" and the heroic beauty of "although there are tens of thousands of people, I will go"──I understand the so-called "practice". "It is to develop wisdom and compassion in every moment of ordinary daily use, and to realize how important it is to live a life of physical and mental balance in the long-term and long-term monastic life.

Persimmons are red again this year!The bright red persimmon should symbolize "ripeness".And what is "mature"?I like what Yu Qiuyu said: "Maturity is a bright but not dazzling brilliance, a kind of indifference washed away from extremes, a kind of unobtrusive thickness, and a kind of height that is not steep." True maturity is not indifference and alienation, but a middle way that transcends extremes and opposites, and can make correct judgments and appropriate actions in the face of various situations in life, showing a perfect balance.isn't it? (This picture is provided by Wu Xiaodan)