Being Natural

There was a famous Zen temple and a priest was in charge of the garden around the temple. The priest loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees, hence he was entrusted with this job. Next to the temple there was another small temple where there lived a very old Zen master.

One day, the priest was expecting some special guests, so he took extra care in tending the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully removing all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old Zen master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the two temples.

When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his own work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master.

"Yes," replied the old man, "but still there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you."

After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over the wall and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and started shaking it. All the dry leaves showered down all over the garden.

"There! It looks natural now," said the old Zen master, "you can put me back on the other side!"

Moral of the Story ...

Friends, one should drop pretensions, hypocrisies, drop all that has been cultivated around one’s natural being and just become natural.

The emptiness is created by throwing away the artificial things, pretensions and masks. The natural being starts flowing in that moment. It needs space, so as to become empty, loose and natural.

To be natural is the most fundamental principle of one’s life.

Enjoy the Day Friends!