2nd April

There was nothing sentimentalabout the masters
who used to box their disciples ears to bring them to their senses,
and who experienced life "close to nature" not only when she was
warm and pleasant but when she was freezing, wet, and stormy.
The sentimental "lover of Nature" only sees one side of her face;
when it is wet he goes indoors and speaks of the delightful hissing
of the rain on leaves. He does not let it trickle down his neck.
Alan Watts.
This text expresses how the Zen masters embraced all of the
manifestations of nature. It's counterpart in our lives is to embrace
ALL that life offers us including those things we would term 'difficult'
based on our opinions and judgements.