Evening
and nighttime are
times of rest for cultivated people.
Accordingly you should withdraw into the
chamber of spirit and embrace oneness without
parting. Since there are no worldly feelings enveloping
you, neither is there an original sublime truth —
when you are like a dead man for the time
being, that is called great rest. After you
get to the point of dreaming and
sleeping without becoming
muddled, you see the
effect of mastering
seriousness.
Then
the following morning
is the time for the cultured person’s
“daily renewal”. Accordingly, you should rise
early and daily seek what you have yet to attain,
with the determination to do ten times or a hundred
times what others do. The days become months, the months
become years; those who study without question of how
long it takes, be it three years or five years, never
fail to reach sagehood. When you are mindful
at every moment, nurturing it with each
breath, the work is never interrupted;
perfected day after day and month
after month, learning will
shine with light.