A tree in the forest
One
A tree stands in the forest,
It neither hides itself nor stands out,
It simply stands there quietly,
Silent or dancing with the wind;
A good practitioner is like this.
A tree has no place to go,
No one to visit,
Birds perch on its branches without refusal, and when they leave, it does not hold them back;
It simply goes with the flow, observing freely;
A good practitioner is like this.
A tree has no other direction to strive for,
—Its lifelong effort:
To root deeply into the ground and grow tall towards the sky,
It only demonstrates its strength in a vertical direction;
A good practitioner is like this.
A tree is silent and unassuming,
In spring, it blooms vigorously,
In autumn, it adorns itself with abundant fruits,
This is the language of a tree;
A good practitioner is like this.
A tree in the forest,
Is neither close nor distant from other trees,
Its relationship with them
Is beyond intimacy or distance, good or bad, existence or non-existence;
A good practitioner is like this.
A tree in the forest
Does not feel lonely, desolate, worried, or afraid,
It does not rely on any other trees,
In a sea of ten thousand trees, it seems as if it stands alone;
A good practitioner is like this.
Two
Society is a “forest” of “people,”
Each person is a Bodhi tree in human form.
In the depths of this “forest,”
What are you doing every day? How do you live?
Are you a good practitioner of the forest way?
In past lives, every Buddha has practiced in the forest,
They retreated deep into the woods,
Not to train as skilled hunters capturing more birds and beasts from the forest,
But to subdue their inner birds and beasts; after succeeding,
They emerged from the forest—into another forest: that of humans.
In this “forest” of people,
They either continue to practice alone—just as they did in that “tree” forest,
or help other beings residing within this forest as circumstances allow.
This is the legacy of the “forest way,”
The practitioners pass down their actions, character, and temperament as those who practice in forests.
We all live within various invisible forests,
Either as hunters or hunted birds and beasts,
or as a third type—practitioners.
In this “human forest” made up of people,
Which type are you? A hunter? The hunted? Or a practitioner?
Become a renowned practitioner—escaping from the fate of hunting and being hunted;
The purpose of practice is to leap out of this fate.
Time after time, we either chase after prey such as “fame,” “wealth,” “love,” “recognition,” etc.,
or we are pursued by “enemies,” “hatred,” “aging,” “illness,” “death,” etc.
When will we escape from this fate of pursuit and being pursued?
FROM THE “TREE” FOREST TO THE “HUMAN” FOREST:
Good practitioners embody the qualities of a tree—
Theirs is tranquility, serenity, stability; silently they stand firm;
The flowers they offer to Earth are radiant; their fruits are abundant for all beings;
They bring forth qualities akin to those found in beautiful trees for all beings.
by- Taiwan Fearless Tathagata Buddhi Great Perfection Meditation Center