This poem is from the poem Living in the Mountains by Zen Master Ishiguro. Do you know this poem? 1, original text
Mountain dwelling poetry
The fifteenth Zen master
The past is over, there is no need to think about the future.
Just say a word today, plums are ripe and gardenias are fragrant.
2. Translation
The past is over, there is no need to regret and entangle, never forget; The future has not yet arrived, so don't be too anxious and pursue it deliberately. Just say what you say now and do what you do now. For example, now is the time when plums are ripe and gardenias are blooming. We should taste the sweetness of plums and smell the fragrance of gardenias.
3. Introduction to the author
At the end of Ming Dynasty, the poet and monk Wu Shi Zen Master had a poem "Wu Shishan Residence" passed down from generation to generation. There is hardly any evidence to prove his life. It is worth noting that in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, there was also a monk named Qing Gui, whose poem "Wu Shishan Residence" was handed down from generation to generation. The Zen poems written by two eminent monks are easy to understand but thought-provoking.
4. Main ideas
Why worry about the future if you don't think about the past? A wise man grasps the present. Plum and gardenia are seasonal, so we must grasp the seasonal karma and not leave it empty. The past cannot be chased, and the future cannot be expected. What people should do most is to grasp the present and live every "today".
I came across this poem when the plums were ripe and the gardenias were fragrant. This feeling of accidental harmony with the hearts of the ancients is fascinating. Let's taste this hill poem: "The past has passed, there is no need to think about the future." The first two sentences are very clear, meaning that the past has passed, and there is no need to regret and entangle. The future has not yet arrived, so don't be too anxious and pursue it deliberately. Since "the past" and "the future" are not worth worrying about, then "the present" has become the most important concern in our lives.
"Only today is the only way, only today is that sentence". Now, say now, do now. For example, now is the time when gardenia blossoms when plums are ripe. We want to taste the sweetness of plums and smell the fragrance of gardenia-"Gardenia fragrance when plums are ripe". As for other things, let nature take its course and leave time.
Zhu Dunru has a similar sentence in Xijiang Moon, saying, "Don't care and arrange, get the present and the present". "Take the present and replace it" and "Only the present and only the next sentence" all tell the truth of "living in the present". If you live in the present, you will not be led by the past, nor will you be led by the future, so you can live smartly and walk calmly.