There is no place
for exertion or effort in buddhism;
it is just a matter of being normal and non-obsessed,
taking care of bodily functions, dressing and eating, lying down
when tired. Fools laugh at me; it is the wise ones who
understand this. An ancient said, “Those who
work on externals are all
ignoramuses.”
Break open
A cherry tree
And there are no flowers,
But the spring breeze
Brings forth a myriad of blossoms!
Darkness reappears unexpectedly.
Caution and reticence
are in order.
It is a dangerous hour. Through an eruption of our inferior nature darkness has interrupted the flow of light. The inferior can be quite seductive, and if we are not resolute in resisting it, the moment can be lost to misfortune.
In one’s self, this is a time to examine motives; those which are of questionable honor should be uprooted and discarded. Be wary of situations that engage your ego and tempt you into anger, self-righteousness, or desire. Actively employ your higher nature to test the correctness of tempting ideas and circumstances; that which seems to be suspicious almost certainly is.
In your conduct with others, practice modesty, independence, and patience with great discipline. Avoid anger or arrogance at all costs; withdraw whenever you cannot meet another in a balanced and independent way. Neither encourage another to forego his balance nor indulge him if he does so. Again, withdraw into stillness if the circumstances indicate the presence of inferior influences. Reticence and self-scrutiny are the order of the day.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 44, Kou / Coming to Meet
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Let there be small
countries with few people.
Let the people have no use for
complicated machinery. Let them be
mindful of death so that they
don’t move too far from
their birthplaces.
If there be boats and carriages,
let there be nowhere to take them to.
If there are weapons, let there
be no occasion to display them.
Let the people’s
responsibilities be few enough
that they may remember them
by knotting a string.
Let them
enjoy their food,
be content with their clothes,
be satisfied with their homes,
and take pleasure in
their customs.
Though
the next country
may be close enough
to hear the barking of its dogs
and the crowing of its roosters,
let the people grow old and
die without feeling
compelled to
visit it.
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We have to
allow ourselves to
realize that we are complete fools;
otherwise, we have nowhere
to begin.
There is something bright and clear, without falsity, without biases, tranquil and unmoving, possessed of vast consciousness, fundamentally without birth and death and discrimination, without names and forms and words. It engulfs space and covers all of heaven and earth, all of form and sound, and is equipped to function.
If we speak of its essence, it is so vast it embraces everything, so that nothing is outside of it. If we speak about its function, then it goes beyond the abilities of the samadhi of the spiritual powers of the wisdoms numerous as the dusts in the buddha-lands: it is at once hidden and manifest, sovereign and free in all directions, with great spiritual powers. Even great sages cannot get to the end of it.
This one thing is always with each and every person. Whether you move or not, whenever you encounter circumstances and objects, it is always very obvious and clear, clear everywhere, revealed in everything. It is quietly shining in all activities. As an expedient, it is called Mind. It is also called the Path, and the king of the myriad dharmas, and Buddha. Buddha said that whether walking, sitting, or lying down, we are always within it.
the calm light from the spirit