Pure Land Gardens- Japan.
For many years, the monk sat beside the Ajiike pond as he did today in the early morning, breathing in the peaceful settings of the Pure Land Gardens. He inhaled deeply the fragrance of jasmine and lotus, enjoying the cool morning air before the sun rose in the sky when the day would become increasingly hot and humid.
Sometimes his meditation took an hour, maybe more, but always he sat here away from the others. Ordinarily he felt at peace with nature and with the world. Today, however, was different. Something churned inside him causing his usual calm to be replaced by sorrow, making him feel restless and helpless.
He was angry at the awful atrocities of nature so recently bestowed upon his people. The Tsunami, that powerful wave from a sea gone wild, was not so unusual here in Japan, yet this one had snatched away thousands and thousands of people, young and old, innocent babies and little creatures alike, leaving whole villages crushed.
............Was this a test? A task? Desperately, the Monk tried to calm himself, struggling with the angry thoughts, like knives, swirling around his brain, threatening to cut his conscious mind into threads. What did the Gods want of him?
For many years the Monk sat beside the Ajiike pond as he did today in the early morning breathing in the peaceful settings of the Pure Land gardens. He inhaled deeply the fragrance of jasmine and lotus, enjoying the cool morning air before the sun rose in the sky when the day would become increasingly hot and humid.
Sometimes his meditation took an hour, maybe more, but always he sat here away from the others. Ordinarily he felt at peace with nature and with the world. Today, however, was different. Something churned inside him causing his usual calm to be replaced by sorrow, making him feel restless and helpless.