when the dust is polished off a mirror

clayton cubitt

 

When the illusory body

is extinguished, the illusory mind is

also extinguished. When the illusory mind

is extinguished, the illusory sense objects are

also extinguished. When the illusory sense

objects are extinguished, the illusory

extinguishing is also

extinguished.

 

When the illusory

extinguishing is extinguished, that

which is not illusory is not extinguished.

It is similar to how, when the dust

is polished off a mirror, the

brightness appears.

 

Virtuous one,

you should know that body

and mind are both illusory dust.

When the form of this dust is wiped

away, purity pervades

the universe.

 

The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment

from Dialogues in a Dream

by Musō Soseki

 

world and particle are one

shane drinkwater

 

The ego says

that the world is vast, and

that the particles which form it are tiny.

When tiny particles join, it says, the vast

world appears. When the vast world

disperses, it says, tiny

particles appear.

 

The ego

is entranced by

all these names and ideas,

but the subtle truth is that world and particle

are the same; neither one vast, neither one tiny. Every

thing is equal to every other thing. Names and

concepts only block your perception

of this Great Oneness. Therefore

it is wise to ignore

them. 

 

Those

who live inside

their egos are continually bewildered:

they struggle frantically to know whether things

are large or small, whether or not there is a purpose

to joining or dispersing, whether the universe is blind and

mechanical or the divine creation of a conscious being.

In reality there are no grounds for having beliefs

or making comments about such things. Look

behind them instead, and you will discern

the deep, silent, complete truth

of the Tao. Embrace it, and

your bewilderment

vanishes. 

 

Hua hu Ching, Chapter 32

 

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with each step, a flower blooms

blossoms

 
A lot

of unimportant inner

litter and bits and pieces have

to be swept out first. Even a small head

can be piled high inside with irrelevant distractions.

True, there may be edifying emotions and thoughts, too, but

the clutter is ever present. So let this be the aim of the meditation:

to turn one’s innermost being into a vast empty plain, with none

of that treacherous undergrowth to impede the view. So that

something of “God” can enter you, and something of “Love,”

too. Not the kind of love-de-luxe that you can revel in

deliciously for half an hour, taking pride in

how sublime you feel, but the love

you can apply to small,

everyday things.
 

 

Looked

at Japanese prints

with Glassner this afternoon.

That’s how I want to write. With that much

space round a few words. They should simply emphasize

the silence. Just like that print with the sprig of blossom in the

lower corner. A few delicate brush strokes—but with what attention

to the smallest detail—and all around it space, not empty but inspired.

The few great things that matter in life can be said in a few words.

If I should ever write—but what?—I would like to brush in a

few words against a wordless background. To describe

the silence and the stillness and to inspire them.

What matters is the right relationship between

words and wordlessness, the wordlessness

in which much more happens than

in all the words one can

string together.

 

Etty Hillesum

 

The mind

can go in a thousand

directions, but on this beautiful

path, I walk in peace. With each step,

the wind blows. With each step,

a flower blooms.

 

Thich Nhat Hanh