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For twenty seven years
I’ve always sought the Way.
Well, this morning we passed
Like strangers on the road.

~ Kokuin (10th c)

To practice Zen, you need deep roots.
People with deep roots are rare.
In the past anyone could practice Zen.
But not now.
Zen depends completely on yourself.
It’s much harder, especially now.

~ Sheng-hi




time matters
and does not exist

If people are quiet,
They can be quiet anywhere.
If people aren’t quiet
They won’t be quiet in the mountains.
Everything depends on you.
Life is transient,
Like a flash of lightning in a dream.
Before we receive this form,
We had another face,
Our original face.
We can’t see it with our eyes.
We can only know it with wisdom.

~ Chi-ch’eng

There is no place
for exertion or effort in Buddhism;
it is just a matter of
being normal and non-obsessed,
taking care of bodily functions,
dressing and eating,
lying down when tired.
Fools laugh at me;
it is the wise ones
who understand this.
An ancient said,
“Those who work on externals are all ignoramuses.”

~ Lin Chi (d 867)

Sixty-six times have these eyes
beheld the changing scene of autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask no more.
Only listen to the voice of
pines and cedars when no wind stirs.

~ Ryonen (1797-1863)

Simplicity is something that our
Fundamental nature inherently Possesses.
If we prepare in Advance and nurture it within
Ourselves, then wherever we happen to
Be, whether in wealth and high rank,
Or poverty and low status,
In foreign lands, or in difficult
Circumstances, we deal with
Whatever situation we are in
By retaining our simplicity there.
It is not increased when we do great
Deeds or reduced when we are
Dwelling in obscurity.
Wherever we go, we are at peace,
Because we have found simplicity.

~ Nie Bao (1487-1563)

An orange, a mint, a

I sat for decades
only to become a gabby-pants.
I shouldn't go on and on like this,
but what do "should" and "should not" even mean?

The imperfect becomes whole.
How true that is!
To become whole and
Return to the Source,
One must ever be in accord
With nature.
There is nothing in the world
So weak as water,
Nor anything strong enough
To overcome it.
The person of great wisdom
Is like water which,
Though benefiting all things,
Never strives.

~ Lao-tzu

Here I have enough to eat
And I have taken root far
From the world;
My mind is weightless and
Without color like the lingering fog
The sound of the evening waves
Wakes me from my afternoon nap.
Cradled in the breast of this mountain
I have forgotten its original wildness
Day after day watching the sea
I have never seen its depths
If I cannot attain the very heart of Zen
A wave a thousand miles long
Will rise up and heave on the
Sea beyond my gate.

~ Muso Soseki (1275-1351)

How elegant is the morning sun
Shining on the rafters and eaves.
How cool are the terrace and pond after the rain.
I burn incense to break the deep silence,
Drink the spring water and relax in joy.
When the mind is at ease, and spirit is at peace,
Understanding is gained.
There is nothing left to comprehend.
Who can say that the realm of Tao is far from us?
How tranquil it is
Like the beginning of Heaven and Earth.

~ Ni Tsan (1301-1374)

If we pour a pail of water down a hill it will travel in many directions.
As the branches of this river travel they pick up many different elements each a new and different from the other.
When moving from present to past, as our mind settles entering the tunnel of darkness we see that when put back together, the water returns to oneness as does the hill as created.

MiChu 2022

@rookie54 said
For twenty seven years
I’ve always sought the Way.
Well, this morning we passed
Like strangers on the road.

~ Kokuin (10th c)

@mike69 said
I wonder if he ever considered/dreamed of a time where tranquility, peace, oneness along with true meekness everywhere when the the sun can just be the sun, a hill a hill, and the rain blesses the earth.

Green waters and verdant mountains
are the places to walk in meditation;
by the streams or under the trees
are places to clear the mind.
Observe impermanence,
never forget it;
this urges on the will to seek enlightenment.

~ Keizan Jokin (1264-1325)