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Observing the waxing and waning of the seasonal moon and its reflections... |
| The title of this blog, “Apricot Moon,” is inspired by meditations on the Chinese lunar calendar as presented in The Lunar Tao, Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons, by Deng-Ming Dao. In spite of its roots, the purpose of the blog is not to propagate an “ism.” It does not require any familiarity with Asian philosophy, or, for that matter, invite agreement or disagreement with any particular point of view. This is meant to be an observance of the passing of both the internal and external seasons, an examination into the myriad events and changes occurring in those seasons, an exploration of a landscape in which discovery and contemplation may be revealed and celebrated. May it also be a place where many voices can be heard, a meeting place for those who try to write eloquently and live genuinely. Here, then, are the recurring phases of the Apricot Moon… |
| The pomegranate is a Chinese symbol of fertility, and my thoughts in this moon revolve around the idea of spiritual fertility. How do we cultivate our true nature, our Real Self? Is there a place of true peace within us? Does it even exist? Are we able to find it? What does living in harmony with one’s true nature and not moving away from it really look like? In the Zen Buddhist tradition, living in accordance with one’s true nature means abiding in the mind of meditation (as much as possible), keeping the Precepts in order not to harm living beings (including oneself), and living in a way that benefits both self and other. The Taoists believe that there is a place inside of us where we feel most free and content, but we abandon that place to follow fame, a career, or another person. Not that these pursuits are inherently bad in themselves, but in doing so we often lose touch with ourselves. Somewhere along the road, we feel caught or stuck, and we natuarally long for the freedom to be ourselves and live in peace. That spark of longing, that desire for freedom, that sense of existential constraint, can be summed up in the words of Tao Qian (367-427), a Taoist poet: A caged bird misses the old forest. A fish in a pond misses the old waters. Tao Qian’s solution was to retire to a country life; he moved to a small farm, worked the land, drink wine, cultivate chrysanthemums, and wrote poetry. These activities were his expression of the inner peace that he found and manifested as a result of ‘escaping the net,’ abandoning the entanglements of ordinary society with its striving and scheming. He remarks, For too long I was shut in a cage. I only hope that my wishes won’t be thwarted. What is the best I can do? How authentically can I live my life? How deeply can I reach for something truly real? How can I best help myself and the beings around me? Most of us do not live in the place that Tao Qian describes. All manner of forces drive us: social, political, familial, economic, emotional, karmic. These are our experiences, the warp and woof of our lives. Still and all, we long for spiritual freedom and truth. Given the diversity of humankind, different people will have different answers to the questions posed above. There is no one way of expression that fits everyone. But we all have the same question, albeit with different variations. A Buddhist teacher wrote: The life of birds is the sky. The life of fish is the ocean. If we can dream about it, we can reach for it; if we reach for it, we come closer to it; the closer we get, the more it beckons us. And the more it beckons us, the seeming distance diminishes. After all, we are already living within it, are we not? May we all find a way to realize this. |
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