The moon, the pond and the burning monk

A confession. The culprit of all the problems of the world is me.

I am not going to write about this classical poem of the moon and a pond:

“The moon has no intent to cast
it’s shadow anywhere,
nor does the pond design to
lodge the moon.
How serene the water of Hirosawa.” —Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573 – 1645)

I am also not going to write about this 2011 painting by Dylan Thomas:

“The moon does not reject the pond nor does the pond reject the moon. They both simply are-with no intention or will from either of them, they create a profoundly beautiful scene. Human beings have a problem with acceptance. We suffer when we want what we cannot have or have what we do not want. We tend to reject ‘ugly’ things like death, when it is as natural as the ‘beauty’ of birth. When we learn to live as the moon and pond do, and reject nothing, we will live far happier lives.” —Dylan Thomas

And also I am not going to write about this old Zen quote:

“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full of ripples, the moon's reflection won't look anything like the moon. That agitation, those ripples, are your constant thoughts and feelings, which disturb your ability to perceive truth. When the pond is perfectly still, however -when your thoughts and feelings withdraw and stay quiet -then you can see the moon's reflection. You can perceive the truth.” ― Eve Adamson

I am going to write about me.

After many years on earth, I realize all the problems in this world are because of me.

I was an activist against war, and the war was in me.

I wanted to change the world, and the world was in me.

I wanted to meditate and be a better me, and meditation was in me.

I wanted to change my corporate organization, and I realized the change was in me.

I wanted to change how I feel, and what I feel is in me.

I wanted to change you, and you are in me.

Now I can only admire you as you are now, acknowledge every feeling, wonder how life changes every instant, be this world, and see love and peace in war and hell.

“Me” has always been an illusory thing.

Doing things for “me” was so crazy.

It’s ok. I understand.

Life is crazy. Life is a game, a dance, a play. Life is awesome.

Life is always life.

Luckily, I found you.

I found your love.

Thanks, Life

🌿✨🙏

I am going to talk about my mind:

My mind. This pond.

At the beginning, it was filled with pure, pristine, immaculate fresh water.

With time, the surface was covered by moss, sediment, small pieces of life.

The golden fish living inside could hardly see the light, but life fed its soul.

When a rock impacts, the ripples alter the quiet essence of the pond. Peace returns always, sooner or later, depending on factors that the golden fish cannot control. The pond can only be what it is.

The essence of the pond is peace, it is its natural state. Being a pond is easy, it simply needs to be what it is, love what it is, and don't try to seek being a refrigerator or a hamburger. Everything is what it is. Things are what they are.

No matter how thick the sediments in the surface are, light permeates the golden fish with life. Otherwise, I could not be writing this.

And yes, I am going now to talk about the Moon 🌙:

This is the moon, beautiful even behind clouds and through a blurry lens.

Clouds will fade away.

The moon enlightens the night.

We all share the same moon.

Your heart is beautiful even behind a tapestry of clouds and threads and seen through a blurry lens from the distance. I see your heart now. It’s very big.

Clouds will fade away. The tapestry of threads that seems to imprison the moon will be replaced by light as the sun rises. It’s the light of your heart.

Your heart enlightens the darkness.

We all share the same light,

the same heart,

to let us share your darkness with mine,

and allow our night

be enlightened

with the warm moonlight

shining within our heart,

nurturing you and me.

Simply think one simple thing.

Your thoughts do not drive your life,

Let life drive itself.

Allow life to freely unfold.

Life is much wiser

than you and me.

Surrender to life.

Be what you are.

Can you be anything else, now?

Live life

Love life

Everything of it.

Including bad experiences,

Aren't they life?

What is not life?

Everything is.

You are.

Let life spring from

this beautiful heart

you are.

Life is this moment.

There's nothing else.

It's the goal and the path,

it's me, it's you,

and everything in between.

The Cereus flower blooms for only one night a year.

For 364 nights out of the year, the night blooming Cereus cactus (Peniocereus greggi) looks like a pile of dead, gray vines.

At the beginning of the summer, the Southern Arizona heat triggers these ordinary mundane cacti to simultaneously bloom with beautiful flowers, which are commonly referred to as the queen of the night.

These flowers only last a single night, and begin to wilt as soon as the morning sunlight hits them. This mass bloom event occupies a special place in the hearts and imaginations of many people, and has done so for a millennia.

They bloom for a moment, and then gone.

This reminds me to you and me…

…ephemeral beings…

…and this is another reason why I love you so much, my friend.

We don’t have much time left to love life.

Do not waste this moment.

Be now. Time is the fuel of fear.

Fear consumes our souls.

I am gonna burn me in fire.

I have no fear of death.

I am incombustible.

Don’t suffer…no animals were burnt or harmed in the making of this post.

I need nothing to be what I am.

When I need nothing, I always have everything here and now.

- How could I not need anything?

You already are... How could nothing need something?

No followers, no subscribers, no reactions? I love that.

No success, no friends, no money? I love that.

How come?

Simply because I love everything.

How come?

Simply because I know death is near.

I will be soon combustible in a pire of fire.

Nothing will remain, not even ashes. They will feed worms and be manure.

That's the reason

to love life

to love you

as you are

now.

Life is now.

Tomorrow is a dream.

Wake up.

I have never been in Congo, I know nobody in Congo. I don't know the name of the president or the colors of the flag.

I just know there are more than 7.2 million displaced people now and the humanitarian disaster resulting from cyclical, violent conflict in the Congo has killed more than 6 millions over the past three decades, and continues to deepen right now, today.

Why should I care about Congo?

Apparently there is nothing in Congo connected with me.

Apparently.

Is Congo more important than the other active conflicts in the world? Is this more important than my breakfast, my worries, my anxiety, my ideas, my opinions, my thoughts about how things should be, my feelings, my anger, my sadness or my next substack post?

I don't know.

I just know, this is now. Everything is happening now.

And my worries are… my worries. They will fade away… just like you and me… one day… sooner or later… everything will disappear and vanish.

What will remain?

The same that has always been… since the beginning of time… the same that has been aware of everything, all your life. what is that?

I don't know.

I don't know how to bring peace to Congo or to you.

I am an ignorant, a nerd, as someone called me today. Did that trigger me? No.

Being triggered is a matter of what we give importance to.

And “me” is not important.

You are.

I know that.

Honor life,

honor yourself,

honor this moment.

Apologies for being so repetitive,

with those 3 identical sentences

Realize who honors all that,

who honors everything

who loves everything,

who loves life,

who loves this moment,

who loves you?

I see no body.

only YOU

You are everywhere.

You make Life possible.

My gratitude for reading these words. English is not my mother tongue and I am not a writer, I work as a software business developer at an IT consulting company

After a really tough and stressful time, today one of my colleagues finished the financial planning videocall telling me these words to say goodbye:

— “I love you so much”

I was surprised and had to lookup in Wikipedia the meaning of the word “love” since it's unusual to hear this from a coworker in big corporation.

I stumbled (again) upon what ancient Greeks identified as love:

Agápe (ἀγάπη, agápē) is used in ancient texts to denote unconditional love, explained by Thomas Aquinas as "to will the good of another"

Éros (ἔρως, érōs) means "love, mostly of the sexual passion". Plato refined his own definition: Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or and may ultimately transcend particulars to become an appreciation of beauty itself, hence the concept of platonic love to mean "without physical attraction".

Philia (φιλία, philía) means "affectionate regard, friendship", usually "between equals". It is a dispassionate virtuous love. In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, philia is expressed variously as loyalty to friends ("brotherly love"), family, and community; it requires virtue, equality, and familiarity.

Storge (στοργή, storgē) means "love, affection" and "especially of parents and children". It is the common or natural empathy, like that felt by parents for offspring.

Philautia (φιλαυτία, philautía) means "self-love". To love oneself or "regard for one's own happiness. The Greeks further divided this love into positive and negative: one, the unhealthy version, is the self-obsessed love, and the other is the concept of self-compassion.

Xenia (ξενία, xenía) is an ancient Greek concept of hospitality, "guest-friendship", or "ritualized friendship". It was a social institution requiring generosity,

I am 100% sure that Eros was not what my coworker meant, I am too old for that. Probably it was Xenia, although the most important thing is the peace of mind these words brought in the air.

How would the world be…if we reminded us more often how much love is in ourselves and others?

I’ll try it:

I love you so much. I adore you 🙏