We can
live without religion
and meditation, but we cannot
survive without human
affection.
do not give birth to a single thought
Just
do not give birth
to a single thought: let go
and become crystal clear. As soon
as any notions of right and wrong and self
and other and gain and loss are present,
do not follow them off. Then you
will be personally studying
with your own true
enlightened
teacher.
i don’t know
Emperor Wu
of Liang asked Bodhidharma,
“I have built temples and had monks
ordained without number: what merit is there
in this?” Bodhidharma said, “There is no merit.”
The emperor said, “Why no merit?” Bodhidharma
said, “These are just the lesser fruits of gods
and men, causes of defilement: like
shadows following shapes,
though they’re there,
they’re not
real.”
The Emperor
said, “What is true merit?”
Bodhidharma answered, “The subtle
perfection of pure wisdom, its essence naturally
empty and still. Such merit is not to be sought with worldly
means.” Only then did the Emperor ask, “What is the
highest meaning of the holy truths?” Bodhidharma
answered, “Empty, without holiness.”
The Emperor said, “Who is facing
me?” Bodhidharma replied,
“I don’t know.”
The Emperor
did not understand, so
Bodhidharma crossed the river
into Wei. If you want to see real merit
right now, don’t look for it anywhere else,
just comprehend it in “I don’t know”.
If you can penetrate those three
words, the task of your whole
life’s study will be
completed.
don’t linger on thoughts
People
today concentrate
on the quest to have no thoughts but
find that their thoughts ultimately cannot be
annihilated. Just don’t linger on the preceding thought,
don’t greet the following thought; if you can just use
the present adaptation to circumstances to
break through, you will naturally enter
nothingness in a gradual
manner.
work toward emptiness and openness
Work toward
emptiness and openness.
Cultivate stillness. Breathe harmony.
Become tranquility. As the ten
thousand things rise and fall,
rise and fall, just witness
their return to the
root.
Everything
that flourishes dissolves
again into the source. To dissolve
back into the source is to find peace.
To find peace is to recover your true nature.
To recover your true nature is to know the constancy
of Tao. To know the constancy of Tao is insight. Insight
opens your mind. An open mind leads to an open
heart. Open heartedness leads to justice.
Justice is an expression of divinity.
Divinity is oneness with
Tao.
Oneness
with Tao is freedom
from harm, indescribable
pleasure, eternal
life.
from The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,
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