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Moments
Autumn Brightness

3-5 minutes read
A black and white pocket printer style photo of river and branches with leaves above.

reflections ~
leaving leaves
to the river

A rainy day
this autumn world—
theater district

松尾芭蕉 Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)
Moon Woke Me Up Nine Times. Translated by David Young.

Leaving the masks behind

mindlessness
taking the laundry out
of an empty microwave

Small humorous sumi-e painting that shows an open empty microwave and next to it a closed washing machine with laundry in it. There are question marks above the microwave.

One is completely aware while moving, standing, sitting, reclining, awake, speaking, and silent.

The Buddha
MN 10
A black ink semi-cursive calligraphy of a Japanese character on a white background. The character's meaning is 'breath'.
気
breath
き (ki)

After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of a Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, ‘Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?’ ‘Yes,’ Tenno replied. ‘Tell me,’ the master continued, ‘did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or the right?’ Tenno did not know the answer and realised that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in’s apprentice and studied under him for ten more years.

Nyogen Senzaki
101 Zen Tales

Steadily, time and again—natural gaps between all tasks and activities offer plentiful opportunities to renew practice intention.

Small humorous sumi-e painting depicting an umbrella set aside and sandals next to it. Water droplets drip from the umbrella, forming a puddle.

Connection

A black-and-white pocket printer-style photo of a bright sky covered with soft, wave-like clouds. In the bottom left corner, there is the tip of bare branches.

lighter
with each passing day
fall deepens

一物も持たぬ生死や秋うらら

いちもつももたぬしょうじやあきうらら

ichimotsu mo mota nu shōji ya aki urara

Birth and death
not holding on to even one thing—
autumn brightness

Mitsu Suzuki (1914–2016)
A White Tea Bowl
Minimalist bright sumi-e landscape painting with a winding path, distant trees, and patches of autumn leaves in red and yellow lying on the path.