Return to nature

Fall pushed hot summer and it's slowly approaching. My heart aches with the sound of the cool wind. Looking at the crouching back of the people who changed into long sleeves, I felt sentimental. Is it because of the regret that I have to give the autumn to the harsh winter?

Even at a young age, I felt sad whenever there was a cool autumn breeze like an old woman. I think I felt ride autumn because I was weak. I was sent to the countryside with my mother's wish that eating warm rice three times a day in the fresh air would restore my health.

I used to walk in the fields and mountains, dip my feet in the stream, play in the water, and lie on the rocks and read books. When the cool wind blows, I came back to Seoul house with a bit of chubby appearance.

I happened to be able to access the Won Dharma Center on the Internet. The square shapes made up of simple trees on the open field behind the forest stimulated my childhood and memory of nature. I wanted to rest in that modern wooden box.

Won Dalma Center is located on the way to Albany for about three hours from New York City. According to the rules, I started a 'novel Silence' where I would not speak to anyone from the first day. As soon as I closed my mouth, my eyes wide open and a forest was close at hand. As the ears opened, the cries of various grass bugs hovered around my ears.

I walked through the fields into the woods. Every time I moved my foot, all kinds of grass bugs flew up and followed. Birds were crying as if they were responding tenderly to the sound of grass bugs weeping nonstop.

I stopped when I encountered a deer staring at me. He commanded of his family and disappeared into the field of corn, where the yellow corn's beard was flying. The wind blowing through the forest briefly came into the empty water bottle I was holding and fled with a 'wing' sound as if to tease me.

As I glide down a rolling hill, the sound of water murmuring through the rocks came. 'Good. Welcome.' The stream seemed to greet me with babble. I dipped my hands in clear water and looked up sky. There was the sunlight that came through the old trees in the dark forest. The sunshine washed my bad vision that was in a crowded city clean.

In the sunlight falling on the wide field, the grass was slurping off the dew and enjoying the end of the summer leisurely. I also joined them and returned to nature.

When the sound of the wooden percussion rang in the temple, I went to do meditate. Another time moktak rang was the time to soothe a hungry stomach. A hearty meal prepared only with vegetables was the same taste that was eaten in the countryside as a child.

The temple with the Catskill Mountains sunk into the sun. The green mountain turned blue color under the red glow and then became black. When the red sun went down and darkened, I went to bed.

Isn't meditation making my mind simple so that the simple mind squeezes into an empty space and finally goes back to nature?