One day while
editing a transcription of
Suzuki Roshi’s first lecture on the Sandokai,
I came upon the phrase “things as it is.” I asked him
if perhaps he had not meant to say “things
as they are,” which I thought to be
proper syntax.
“No,” he said,
“what I meant is ‘things
as it is.'”
To Shine One Corner of the World
You’re bound to
become a buddha if you practice.
If water drips long enough, even rocks wear through.
It’s not true thick skulls can’t be pierced;
people just imagine their
minds are hard.
The way is difficult
and very intricate. Lalla discarded her
books that told about it, and through meditation
saw the truth that never comes to anyone
from reading words.
Now is the time
to apply effort toward the Path
every moment, without your mind wavering
or your attention faltering. Catch sight of it right where
you are. When you reach the point where not a single
thought is born and before and after are cut off,
you will suddenly penetrate through
to freedom.
