Japan Discovery Zen words is The best word “不雨花猶 落 Amenarazu shite hana nao otsu”
Zen is difficult. Zen word is also difficult. That’s why I interpret it as I please. I think that’s fine. Enou Zenji, Dogen Zenji, Ikkyu-san, and Ryokan-san are likely to say, “That’s fine, that’s fine. Let it be."Today’s Zen word is “不雨花猶落 Amenarazu shite hana nao otsu" It means " Flowers will eventually fall even if it doesn’t rain"
Flowers will eventually fall even if it doesn’t rain
“不雨花猶落 Amenarazu shite hana nao otsu" (Flowers will eventually fall even if it doesn’t rain) is a paired poem with “無風絮自飛 Kaze nakushite ito onozukarae tobu" (Flowers will fly without wind) and is found in the Huai’an Guogo, an annotated version of the sayings of Daito Kokushi, the founder of Daitokuji Temple, by Hakuin Zenji.
I don’t know what flower is mentioned here, but in Japan I would like to think it is cherry blossoms. Ito is said to be a Chinese willow flower. In spring, the cherry blossoms bloomed beautifully, but the rain scattered the flowers. The wind blew the willow flowers away. It’s unfortunate, but even if it doesn’t rain, the flowers will eventually fall. Even if there is no wind, the willow flowers will fly away on their own. And they will bloom again the next year. This is the impermanence of nature, and the rain and wind are not to blame.
When people make mistakes, they reflect on it and say it’s their own fault. That’s important, but there are people who drag regrets on forever and can’t move on. That may be like continuing to resent the rain for scattering the flowers. Even if it doesn’t rain, the flowers will fall. Failure may not be solely your fault.
No one makes history
Montesquieu said, “Martin Luther is said to have brought about the Reformation. But the Reformation would have happened anyway. If Luther had not been there, someone else would have done it."
Rolf Dobelli also said this in his book “Think clearly." People who have made great discoveries and inventions are admirable, but even if they were not there, someone else would have done them anyway. Historical events are the product of chance, which is the result of being greatly influenced by the flow of the times and the surroundings. Important historical figures are just one of the characters in the events that happened at that time. No one makes history.
When you hear this, it seems like the romance of history is lost, and it is a blatant omen. You want to ask what happens to individual efforts.But it is certain that the events that happen to people are not the result of your actions alone. So even if the results are bad, don’t keep thinking that it is your responsibility forever, or try too hard to do it on your own. Flowers fall even without rain. It is important to accept failure as an inevitable part of life and to keep moving forward.
But why does it often rain when the cherry blossoms bloom?