It means: Watching the flowers bloom in the morning, they are colorful for a while, and the trees are full of brilliant red flowers; in the evening, the red flowers have faded, and the beauty is no longer, leaving only a dead branch of the tree. If we use flowers to compare life, the blooming and fading of flowers are impermanent, and the birth and death of human beings are also impermanent.
Extended meaning: The same thing applies to people and flowers. There is nothing unchanging or unique in the world. Everything depends on causes and conditions to exist.
The poem's title "Offering Flowers to the Buddha" is included in "The Moon Hidden in Herons: An Analysis of Thousands of Zen Poems (1)", written by Zen Master Long Ya in the Tang Dynasty.
Extended information:
Zen Master Longya Judun
Tanzhou (the seat of governance is now Changsha, Hunan) Longyashan Judun Zhengkong Zen Master, Dongshan Liangjie Zen Master The heir of the law, with the common surname Kuo, was from Fuzhou (now Fuzhou, Jiangxi). At the age of fourteen, he became a monk at Mantian Temple in Jizhou and later went to Songyue to receive ordination. From then on, he began to travel with his stick and visit Zen masters everywhere.
One day, Zen Master Longya asked Monk Cuiwei: "I have been at the monk's seat for more than a month and have not been taught a single Dharma. What is the meaning of this?"
Monk Cuiwei? He said: "What do you think of it?"
When Zen Master Long Ya heard this, he was at a loss and could not fathom its purpose. So I went to visit Zen Master Liangjie of Dongshan.
Dongshan Zen Master said: "Old monk, you are so strange?"
Longya Zen Master still doesn't understand. So he came back and asked Monk Cuiwei again: "What is the intention of the Patriarch?"
Monk Cuiwei said: "Bring me the Zen board."
Zen Master Long Ya then asked the Zen master The board was handed to Monk Cuiwei. Monk Cuiwei took the Zen board, raised it and hit it.
Zen Master Longya said: "I can beat you as you please, and there is no intention of the founder!"
In desperation, Zen Master Longya went to ask Zen Master Linji: "What is the matter? What does the Patriarch mean?"
Cen Master Linji said, "Bring me the futon."
Zen Master Long Ya then handed the futon to Zen Master Linji. After Zen Master Linji took it, He raised it up and hit Zen Master Longya in the face.
Zen Master Longya said: "I can hit you as you please, without the intention of the founder!"
Later a monk asked Zen Master Longya: "When the monk is walking, he asks the two gods. The Patriarch’s intention is that it is not possible to understand the two deities.”
Zen Master Long Ya said: “It is clear that there is no intention of the Patriarch.”
Zen Master Long Ya later said. Zen Master Shen Deshan. When he saw Deshan for the first time, Zen Master Longya asked, "What happens when a student tries to take the master's head with a sword?"
Zen Master Deshan stretched out his neck. Zen Master Longya said: "My head fell off."
When Zen Master Deshan heard this, he smiled.
Zen Master Long Ya later told Zen Master Dongshan about this karma of Zen Master Shen Deshan. Zen Master Dongshan asked: "What is the way of Deshan?"
Zen Master Long Ya said: "Deshan is speechless." The bottom looks like an old monk."
Zen Master Longya knew it right away, so he bowed and confessed, and stayed under Zen Master Dongshan to attend the meeting.
One day, Zen Master Longya asked Zen Master Dongshan: "What is the intention of the Patriarch in coming to the west?"
Zen Master Dongshan said: "When the water in the cave reverses the flow, it will come to you."
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When Zen Master Long Ya heard this, he suddenly realized.
In order to repay his kindness, Zen Master Longya continued to serve Zen Master Dongshan for eight years. Later, he was invited by the Ma family in Hunan to live in Miaoji Zen Garden in Longya Mountain, where he taught Dharma and received the public, and was named Master Zhengkong. There are more than 500 disciples under the seat.
When Zen Master Longya picks up people, his language is plain but clean, leaving no trace behind. The number of attempts is as follows:
1. Question: "How to exert force during the twelve o'clock period?" The master (Zen Master Long Ya) said: "It is like a person without hands who wants to use a boxing technique."
2. Question: "How can I take a break from working hard all day long?" The teacher said: "It is like losing a filial son only to find his parents."
3. Asked: "What is the Tao?" The master said: "It is no different from the human heart." He said: "If the human body attains the Tao and is no different from the human heart, then it is a Taoist. If it is spoken, there is no negotiation. Taoist, do you know how to act as a Taoist? During the twelve o'clock period, except for dressing and eating, there is no difference between people's hearts and no deception. If you are a Taoist, there will be no negotiation, which will be very difficult."
4. Question: "What did the ancients get and then leave?" The teacher said: "It's like a thief entering an empty room."
5. Question: "What happened when the two rats invaded the vine?" The teacher said: "You must have a hiding place to get it." He asked: "What is the hiding place?" The teacher said: "Have you seen the Nong family again?"
6. Question: "Why do people who know the truth have life and death?" The master said: "It is just like the time when a person has not realized the Tao."
7. Asked: "How is a Samana who has nothing to do?" The master said: "If he is a Samana, he cannot have nothing to do." He said: "Why can't he have nothing to do?" The master said: "It is difficult to find one."
龙 Zen Master Ya died in the third year of Longde in Later Liang Dynasty (923).
Eighty-nine years old in Spring and Autumn