The world is unstable,
like a house on fire. This is not a place
where you stay long. The murderous haunt
of impermanence comes upon you in a flash,
no matter whether you are rich or poor,
old or young. If you want to be no
different from a zen master or
a buddha, just do not
seek outwardly.
The basic instruction is
simple: start taking off that armor.
That’s all anyone can tell you. No one can tell you
how to do it because you’re the only one who
knows how you locked yourself
in there to start.
Most
women who have done
something with their lives have
been disliked by almost
everyone.
When the workings
of the mind are stirred, a reflection
of a bow may be mistaken for a serpent,
a large rock in the underbrush may be seen
as a crouching lion; here is all killing energy.
When thoughts cease, even the violent can
become gentle, the ordinary can be
elegant; everywhere you see
true potential.
The body’s so
hard, such awful things inside it.
Expenditure and loss. Collateral and gift.
Yet inside the inside, stillness, if
you close your eyes.