What does romance mean in Zen philosophy?

There are hundreds of flowers in spring, a moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer and snow in winter. If there is nothing to worry about, it is a good time in the world.

This is the poem "Ode" written by monk Wumen Huikai in the Song Dynasty.

The flowers are in full bloom in spring, and the moonlight is noble in autumn. There is a cool breeze in summer and a blanket of snow in winter. As long as there are no trivial things to worry about, it is the best time in the world.

Zen Buddhism pays attention to sudden enlightenment, so this poem to some extent presents the attitude of an immortal guiding the way for enlightened people, i.e., troublesome things. The key is whether you can find the way to the realm of romance in any environment. There are other things besides romance in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The key lies in people's state of mind. Wind, flowers, snow, and the moon are all things that can symbolize open-mindedness at different times, which is the power of enlightened people to remain calm and calm.

Extended information:

The influence of "Wumenguan" on Buddhism

There was a founder of Linji Sect named Wumen Huikai who wrote a book , the book is called "Wumenguan".

There are some very wonderful words here: "To practice Zen, you need to penetrate the ancestral barrier, and to say wise words, you need to exhaust your mind. If you don't penetrate the ancestral barrier and your mind is endless, you will be clinging to the grass and the wood spirit. What's going on? The "ancestor pass" is the first pass of the sect. Therefore, it is said that the "no gate pass" of Zen comes from this.

To achieve enlightenment through meditation, we must take "nothing" as the door. Doorlessness is the door. We must have such a spirit to treat the matter of meditation.

"Wumen Pass" received great attention from Zen sects, especially after it spread to Japan. It was reprinted and reprinted, and people often came to study and promote this book.

Zen Buddhism spread to the West, Europe and the United States, and various countries attached great importance to the book "Wumen Pass". There are English translations, Hungarian and other Chinese versions. Under the influence of Japan, some people in Taiwan studied this book.

The Chinese are so ashamed! I don’t really understand the things of my ancestors, but this book is so valued overseas. Japanese Zen is studied based on the word "no gate" and the word "wu", which means "a dog has no Buddha-nature".

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Wumenguan