Gertrude Stein Said So

6:19pm How curious.

6:20pm I had no idea!

6:21pm Today has ended.

I feel the pain of a falling tree

wounded tree

still not quite recovered

like an loss arm lying on the ground

A heavy thunder storm hit the city on the night of August 29th. I have been live in Vancouver for 12 years now that I have never seen one so powerful like it. The next day I stroll around the neighborhood and found this tree. It has been over a month now. The wound still not quite healed.
It sadden me so much. How would we know for sure that the trees feel no pain?

Is That So?

A Zen master Hakuin was praised by his living a pure life.
A couple and their daughter lived next to Hakuin. One day they discovered their daughter was pregnant. She would not tell who the baby's father was, but after much harassment by her parent at last she named Hakuin. In great anger the parents went to the master.
"Is that so?" was all he would say.
After the baby was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took good care of the baby. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.
A year later the girl couldn't stand it longer. She told her parents that the real father of the child was a young fisherman. The parent of the girl went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the baby back again.
Hakuin gave them the child, and he said: "Is that so?"