The past is already past.
Don’t try to regain it.
The present does not stay.
Don’t try to touch it.
From moment to moment.
The future has not come;
Don’t think about it
Beforehand.
Whatever comes to the eye,
Leave it be.
There are no commandments
To be kept;
There’s no filth to be cleansed.
With empty mind really
Penetrated, the dharmas
Have no life.
When you can be like this,
You’ve completed
The ultimate attainment.
If you forget your
feelings about things of the world,
they become enlightening teachings.
If you get emotional about enlightening
teaching, it becomes a worldly
thing.
“teacher to seven emperors”
grass and trees have buddha nature
Other than the birds,
Who watches over you?
Lordly peaks, your neighbors.
White head held pillowed on a stone.
Grey robe ragged, but not soiled
Chestnuts pile up on your path.
Monkeys circle where you sit.
If you ever set up another zendo,
I swear I’ll be the one who
sweeps the floors.
The Tao is as deep as can be.
Who is willing to pursue it closely?
If you don’t go into the tiger’s lair, how can you
catch its cub? If you don’t wash out the stone and sand,
how can you pick out the gold? Carefully seek the heart
of heaven and earth with firm determination.
Suddenly you will see the original thing;
everywhere you meet the source,
all is a forest of jewels.
When you are deluded
and full of doubt, even a thousand
books of scripture are still not enough.
When you have realized understanding,
even one word is already too much.
Zen is communicated personally,
through mental recognition.
It is not handed on directly
by written words.