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Amidst this intense heat, you might be thinking, "Autumn? Impossible!" However, the climate changes gradually. While it may not feel like autumn just yet, according to the calendar, the season has officially begun. There is a poem associated with Risshu that holds a deeply beautiful philosophy, which I would like to share with you today.

"With the fall of a single leaf, we know the autumn of the world." (一葉落知天下秋 - Ichiyou ochite tenka no aki wo shiru)

This beautiful ancient proverb reveals that people in the past did not wait for the weather to turn cold to experience the changing of seasons. By simply observing a single dry leaf falling from a tree in the middle of summer, they were able to sense the quiet, invisible footsteps of approaching autumn.

The Huainanzi and the Inventor of Tofu This concept originates from a 2,000-year-old Chinese encyclopedia called the Huainanzi. Interestingly, the ancient King of Huainan, who commissioned this text, is also famously known in legend as the inventor of tofu. The passage from over two millennia ago, "Seeing a leaf fall, one knows the year is coming to an end," is more than a mere description of nature. It expresses the philosophy that the ultimate truth of the entire universe is hidden within a single, minute phenomenon.

In the world of Zen, this translates to understanding the macro through the micro—the idea that "to see one is to understand the whole." It is the belief that profound truths are concealed within the smallest of events. This mindset aligns perfectly with modern "mindfulness." It is the idea that by cultivating a quiet mind capable of noticing subtle changes in our busy modern society, we can comprehend the grand movements (the macro) of the world.

Daoism and "Harmony with the Universe" The Huainanzi, which gathered the greatest minds of its time, laid the foundation for later Daoist philosophy and its pursuit of "harmony with the great universe." Daoism is quite distinct from other religions, and it is fascinatingly different from Japan's Shinto. Unlike many other belief systems, the "supreme god" in Daoism is nature itself. Daoism teaches that living in harmony with nature is the most righteous path. It views the universe as a macrocosm and a single leaf—or the human body—as a microcosm, believing that both operate on the exact same rhythm.

Having the mental space to notice these small, individual shifts—like the subtle change in a leaf or it turning yellow as autumn approaches—may be incredibly important in our fast-paced modern world. Mindfulness has been widely embraced in Western societies and has clearly become a major trend over the last few years.

You don't need to do anything difficult to begin. Try looking for small changes in the leaves around the city—try to find your very own "first leaf." It could be the slightly cooler evening breeze, the shape of the towering summer clouds, or the song of cicadas bidding farewell to the season. When you turn your heart to these micro-changes, I believe the true beauty of Japan will gradually reveal itself to you.