As a boy I studied
literature, but was too lazy to
become a Confucian; in my younger days
I worked at Zen, but got no Dharma worth handing
down. Now I’ve built a grass hut, act as
custodian of a Shinto shrine,
half a shrine, half
a monk.
laughter is immeasurable
Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable.
Be joyful though you have considered
all the facts. So long as women do
not go cheap for power, please
women more than
men.
conquering cunning and cravings
When praise is
lavished upon the famous,
the people contend and compete with
one another. When exotic goods are traded
and treasured, the compulsion to steal is
felt. When desires are constantly
stimulated, people become
disturbed and
confused.
Therefore,
the wise person sets an example
by emptying her mind, opening her heart,
relaxing her ambitions, relinquishing her desires,
cultivating her character. Having conquered her
own cunning and cravings, she can’t
be manipulated by
anyone.
Do
by not-doing.
Act with non-action.
Allow order to arise
of itself.
Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu, Chapter 3
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what I meant is things as it is
One day while
editing a transcription of
Suzuki Roshi’s first lecture on the Sandokai,
I came upon the phrase “things as it is.” I asked him
if perhaps he had not meant to say “things
as they are,” which I thought to be
proper syntax.
“No,” he said,
“what I meant is ‘things
as it is.'”
To Shine One Corner of the World
wait with a proper attitude
To wait with
a proper attitude invites
the assistance of the
Higher Power.
There is
a situation at hand that
cannot be corrected by force or
external effort. The Creative will provide
the solution to one who waits with a correct
attitude. This is a time for patience
and careful attention to
inner truth.
Do not
give in to doubt and
agitation now. You are not meant
to wait in a state of desperate longing but
in one of patient inner strength. Without certainty
in the power of the truth, success is impossible.
Attempts to force a change, rather than
allowing it to mature naturally,
will only cause
misfortune.
You would be
wise to strengthen and reaffirm
your reliance on the Creative. When you indulge in
fear and doubt, you flood the arena where the Higher Power
is attempting to work. Your principal responsibility in life
is to keep this arena—your own consciousness—
free of negative influences.
By accepting things
as they are and not making fruitless
comparisons to the situations of others or some
imagined ideal, one engages the power of the Creative.
If one remains balanced, modest, and
independent, good fortune will
come to hand.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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Hua hu Ching, Wei wu Wei Ching,
You
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