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.
when times of great difficulty visit
The Ultimate Way
is without difficulty; just
avoid picking and
choosing.
A spiritual understanding
that is not practiced under fire is without
value; only by applying our knowledge in trying
situations do we come into genuine
possession of it.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
(full text here)
☯️