Today’s Pill #210: “Flowers are only flowers because they fall”

form. As Zen master Dogen says, “Flowers fall with our attachment, and weeds spring up with our aversion.”

5. Let things go. Cherry blossoms fall at the height of their beauty, rather than withering on the branch. Allow possessions to fall from your life in the same way, like petals scattered to the wind. (For example: donate your wedding dress or heirlooms before they deteriorate in the attic.)

WABI SABI is in many ways like the bittersweet taste of the last strawberry in this old Zen tale. It is an expression of the beauty that lies in the brief transition between the coming and going of life, both the joy and melancholy that make up our lot as humans.

This haiku is a deep reflection on the truth of reality, which is by nature transient and fleeting. When we are unable to accept this truth we become distressed. However, recognition of this truth could at least bring a sense of poignancy to all of us human beings, who inevitably experience and witness it. There is even an aesthetic of this recogni