The ideal of a mystic
is never to think of disagreeable things.
What one does not want to happen one should not
think about. A mystic erases from his mind all the disagreeable
things of the past. He collects and keeps his happy experiences, and
out of them, he makes a paradise. Are there not many unhappy
people who keep part of the past before them, causing
them pain in their heart? Past is past; it is gone.
There is eternity before us.
the nature and work of a mystic
The unenlightened person
does not understand his own true nature,
does not realize the Pure Land in his own body,
and thus petitions all over. The enlightened person
never differs no matter where he is. For this reason
the Buddha says, “Wherever I may be I am always
in comfort and bliss…If only your mind is pure,
your own nature is itself the Pure
Land of the West.”
Studying texts
and stiff meditation can
make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though,
can be an invaluable treasure. Dusk rain
on the river, the moon peeking in and
out of the clouds; elegant beyond
words, he chants his songs
night after night.
“Enlightenment” and “Nirvana”?
They are dead trees to fasten a donkey to.
The scriptures? They are bits of paper to wipe mud
from your face. The four merits and the ten steps?
They are ghosts in their graves. What can
these things have to do with you
becoming free?
Those who wear the
patched robe of a zen wayfarer
should be completely serious about
taking death and birth as
their business.
Don’t
covet name and fame.
Step back and turn to reality, until
your practical understanding
and virtue are fully
actualized.