Succumb Not to the Rain 不怕雨 不怕風

Just learned about this inspirational poem while reading "A Buddhist Kaleidoscope: Essays on the Lotus Sutra" (edited by Gene Reeves).  I found the below well written translation off the Internet. 

This poem resonated with me in many ways. How does it resonate for you?

雨ニモマケズ Succumb Not to the Rain "不怕雨 不怕風"
(Japanese > English > Chinese)

雨ニモマケズ (雨にも負けず)
Succumb not to the rain
不怕雨

風ニモマケズ (風にも負けず)
Succumb not to the wind
不怕風

雪ニモ夏ノ暑サニモマケヌ (雪にも夏の暑さにも負けぬ)
Succumb not to the snow nor to the heat of summer
不怕大雪不怕炎炎夏日

丈夫ナカラダヲモチ (丈夫な体を持ち)
Be strong in body
身子結實骨子硬

慾ハナク 決シテ瞋ラズ (慾はなく 決して怒らず)
Unfettered by desire, not enticed to anger
沒有慾望 絕不生氣

イツモシヅカニワラッテヰル (いつも静かに笑っている)
Cultivate a quiet joy
臉上總是恬靜地笑著

一日ニ玄米四合ト (一日に玄米四合と)
Every day four bowls of brown rice
一天四合糙米淡飯

味噌ト少シノ野菜ヲタベ (味噌と少しの野菜を食べ)
Some miso and a few vegetables to suffice for the day
幾匙味噌少許粗菜

アラユルコトヲ (あらゆることを)
To everything
事事

ジブンヲカンジョウニ入レズニ (自分を勘定に入れずに)
Without judging
不動心不動容

ヨクミキキシワカリ (よく見聞きし分かり)
Watch well and listen closely
事事要耳聞要目睹

ソシテワスレズ (そして忘れず)
Hold the learned lessons dear
然後刻印在我心中

野原ノ松ノ林ノ蔭ノ (野原の松の林の蔭の)
In a meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade
在那原野地松林深處

小サナ萱ブキノ小屋ニヰテ (小さな萱ぶきの小屋にいて)
A thatch-roof house
蓋棟我棲身的小茅屋

東ニ病気ノコドモアレバ (東に病気の子供あれば)
If, to the East, a child lies sick
村東若有病痛的小孩

行ッテ看病シテヤリ (行って看病してやり)
Go forth and nurse him to health
讓我細心去照顧

西ニツカレタ母アレバ (西に疲れた母あれば)
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted
村西若有疲累的大媽

行ッテソノ稲ノ束ヲ負ヒ (行ってその稲の束を負い)
Go forth, and relieve her of burden
我去幫她背稻穀

南ニ死ニソウナ人アレバ (南に死にそうな人あれば)
If, to the South, a man lies dying
村南若有臨終者

行ッテコハガラナクテモイゝトイヒ (行って怖がらなくてもいゝと言い)
Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear
趕去叫他不要怕

北ニケンクワヤソショウガアレバ (北に喧嘩や訴訟があれば)
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues
村北若有爭執或口角

ツマラナイカラヤメロトイヒ (つまらないから止めろと言い)
Go forth and beg them, "Stop such a waste of effort and of spirit"
我去勸說無聊啊快住手吧

ヒド(デ)リノトキハナミダヲナガシ (日照りのときは涙を流し)
In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy
大旱時節我淚眼汪汪

サムサノナツハオロオロアルキ (寒さの夏はオロオロ歩き)
In summer's cold, walk in concern and empathy
冷夏之季我焦慮不安

ミンナニデクノボートヨバレ (みんなにでくの坊と呼ばれ)
Called a blockhead by everyone
大家罵我是個大傻瓜

ホメラレモセズ (褒められもせず)
Without being praised
雖然沒人會誇獎讚揚

クニモサレズ (苦にもされず)
Without being blamed
但也不會讓人傷腦筋

サウイフモノニ (そういう者に)
ワタシハナリタイ (私はなりたい)
This is my goal, the person I strive to become.
我 正是想當這種人

- 宮沢賢治 Miyazawa Kenji (08/27/1896-09/21/1933)

The Turtle and the Fish - Transcending diversity

There was once a turtle who lived in a lake with a group of fish. One day the turtle went for a walk on dry land. He was away from the lake for a few weeks. When he returned he met some of the fish. 

The fish asked him, "Mister turtle, hello! How are you? We have not seen you for a few weeks. Where have you been? 

The turtle said, "I was up on the land, I have been spending some time on dry land." 

The fish were a little puzzled and they said, "Up on dry land? What are you talking about? What is this dry land? Is it wet?" The turtle said "No, it is not," 

"Is it cool and refreshing?" "No, it is not", 

"Does it have waves and ripples?" "No, it does not have waves and ripples." 

"Can you swim in it?" "No you can't" 

So the fish said, "it is not wet, it is not cool, there are no waves, you can’t swim in it. So this dry land of yours must be completely non-existent, just an imaginary thing, nothing real at all." 

The turtle said that "Well, may be so" and he left the fish and went for another walk on dry land.

This is a rather famous tale which I am reminded of as I was reading the 2011 Fryer Award lecture by Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson. Hatred, anxiety, misunderstanding, and denial often arise out of ignorance. In counselling terms, one might call this a lack of empathy, a lack of connection with others. This can lead to conflictual divisions of "I" vs. "You", "Us" vs. "Others", "Right" vs. "Wrong".

Fortunately life is abundant with lessons for us, given freely but often missed unless we live mindfully.  One important knowledge imparted to me is that there are many sides to a person's life story. What we see or think we know can never encompass the whole person. The whole person includes much from their historical and social spheres (family, community, culture, traditions) as well as their inner life. This awareness has helped lighten my work, to be continually curious, to seek to understand, to maintain a sense of connecting.

Love of Nature

 

 Why do people generally feel good to be immersed in nature?
Perhaps because nature does not hide impermanence; nature demonstrates 
impermanence in all its glory.

This amazing cycle of growing, maturing, fruiting, withering, decaying, nourishing, ...
 
Urban landscapes hide impermanence; we have buildings and monuments that outlive the human life span.

Landmarks provide familiarity and stability, a kind of false assurance 
that all remains the same, all goes well.
Perhaps this also irks us, this predictability, this routineness.