Don’t
seek fame or
fortune, glory or prosperity.
Just pass this life as is, according to
circumstances. When the breath is gone, who is in
charge? After the death of the body, there is only an empty
name. When your clothes are worn, repair them over and
over; when you have no food, work to provide. How
long can a phantom-like body last? Would you
increase your ignorance for the sake
of its idle concerns?
Life is filled with suffering,
but it is also filled with many wonders,
such as the blue sky, the sunshine, and the eyes of a baby.
Suffering is not enough. We must also be in touch
with the wonders of life. They are within us
and all around us, everywhere, in
every moment.
When your tasks
are few, naturally your pains are few.
When your words are few, naturally your troubles
are few. When you eat little, naturally you get sick less.
When you have few desires in your heart,
naturally you have few
worries.
I tell those around me
that if you turn away from the core,
your soul, you will fall into an unliving stupor.
The great crocodile comes and crushes your ship.
Eyes go one way, ears another; your intelligence
skews beyond reason. This disaster
can visit anyone.
When your ability
to choose comes back, your identity
will strengthen; ear and eye will realign;
and you can again be a friend,
a lover, a devotee.
