Nature’s beauty is unparalleled. So much so that we have to appreciate it every day. For thousands of years, man has written poems, phrases, and proverbs praising the beauty of this magnificent planet. This particular Zen story illustrates just that:
A priest lived in a massive Zen temple and was in charge of tending to the plants, trees, and flowers. In close proximity to the temple was the home of an old Zen Master.
One particular morning, the priest was engrossed in tending to the garden because he was looking forward to having some guests over. He trimmed the bushes, watered the flowers, and removed any weeds that were causing chaos in the garden.
He went a step further to rake up all the dry autumn leaves that were in the garden and neatly arranged them at one end. While he toiled meticulously, the old Zen Master watched him curiously from the other side of the wall that separated the temple from the Zen Master’s home.
Once the priest had completed his tasks, he took a step back to admire all the work he had done. Calling the Zen master, the priest proudly asked, “Isn’t it beautiful?” The old man replied: “Yes, it is. However, there’s something missing. If you help me cross the wall, I’ll make things right for you.”
Reluctantly, the priest helped the old Zen master over the wall. After crossing to the other side, the Zen master walked steadily to the tree at the center of the garden and started shaking it violently. All the leaves dropped. The old man boldly said, “There, I’ve fixed it. You can help me back to my temple now.”
The moral of this story is that nature is beautiful and there is nothing that man can create that can live up to it. In short, we shouldn’t alter the nature around us in an attempt to make it more beautiful. We can’t come close to what mother nature does effortlessly.
