Bare Ginkgo Tree Phyllis Ave & Camille Court, Mountain View, California

Blossoming Almond Tree Phyllis Ave & Camille Court, Mountain View, California

Empty and Full Is your drink half empty or half full? Are you a pessimist or an optimist? In the West, a full mind is knowledgeable and an empty mind is considered imbecile. In the East, a full mind is too cluttered and an empty mind is deemed enlightened. Zen Master Seung Sahn taught his students "Keep Don't Know Mind" to be awakened. At Phyllis Avenue and Camille Court, two trees are anchored at the corners— To my left, is a ginkgo tree now bare, to my right, an almond tree is blooming. Nature is teaching me about yin & yang, female & male, night & day, empty & full. In waking state, our mind is full of desires and distractions that lead to suffering. In deep sleep, our mind is empty of desires so we experience stillness, rest, and peace. Buddha and Lao Tzu taught us emptiness, and Psalms 46: "Be still and know I am God." Hindu sages invoke in the Isa Upanishad— "That is full. This is full. This fullness comes from that fullness. Remove this fullness from that fullness and all that remains is fullness."         — Peter Y. Chou             Mountain View, 3-20-2013