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”
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.
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.
All Buddhas preach emptiness.
Why? Because they wish to crush the concrete ideas
of the students. If a student even clings to an idea of emptiness,
he betrays all Buddhas. One clings to life although there is nothing to be
called life; another clings to death although there is nothing to be
called death. In reality there is nothing to be born,
consequently, there is nothing
to perish.
Search out the point
where your thoughts arise and disappear.
See where a thought arises and vanishes. Keep this point
in mind and try to break right through it. Take up
this awareness as if holding a sharp
sword in your hand.