...

Empty yet aware,
the original light shines spontaneously;
tranquil yet responsive,
the great function manifests.

A wooden horse neighing in the wind
does not walk the steps
of the present moment;
a clay ox emerging from the sea
plows the springtime of the eon of emptiness.

Understand?
Where a jade man beckons,
even greater marvel is on the way back.

~ Hung-chih

Today I sat before the cliffs
Sat until the mist drew off
A rambling clear stream shore
A towering green ridge crest
Cloud's dawn shadows still
Moon's night light adrift
Body free of dust
Mind without a care.

~ Han shan

Do away with your old habits and start fresh.
Wash away your old opinions,
And new ideas come in

~ Xue Xuan (1389-1464)

Not going, not coming,
Rooted, deep and still
Not reaching out, not reaching in
Just resting, at the center
A single jewel, the flawless crystal drop
In the blaze of its brilliance
The way beyond.

~ Shih Te (c. 730)

Follow the truth of the Way.
Reflect on it. Make it your own.
Live it.
It will always sustain you.
Do not turn away what is given you,
Nor reach out for what is given to others,
Lest you disturb your quietness.

Buddha
the Dhammapada

Whether you are an innocent beginner or seasoned adept, you must show some spirit! Don’t vainly memorize other people’s sayings: a little bit of reality is better than a lot of illusion. Otherwise you’ll just go on deceiving yourself.

~ Yunmen (864-949)

Don’t seek fame or fortune,
Glory or prosperity.
Just pass this life as is,
According to circumstances.
When the breath is gone,
Who is in charge?
After the death of the body,
There is only an empty name.
When your clothes are worn,
Repair them over and over;
When you have no food,
Work to provide.
How long can a phantomlike
Body last?
Would you increase your ignorance
For the sake of its idle concerns?

~ Tung-shan

There’s no time for confused thoughts.
Practice the meaning of single-mindedness.
Buddha isn’t found by searching.
Look at the characteristic of your mind.
Generally, faith is like spring mist at first.
Be brave at the vanishing point.

~ Godrakpa (1170-1249)

A thousand mountains,
Wind and snow,
Stop me in my lonely tracks;
Turning my head to the western sky,
The road a dead end,
I recall the distant event of
Bodhidharma’s arrival in China
An old monkey howls from the highest peak.

~ Wu Hsueh Tsu-Yuan (1226-1286)

Suddenly he’s vanished.
Pines shade his old hut,
Dense and green as before;
Rush mat he used when alive
Left empty in the moonlight;
Now he’s gone, who will offer
Incense in the golden burner?
In the Forest of Meditation,
Branches break, trunks topple now and then,
But the Dharma Halls will long mourn
The loss of this pillar and beam.

~ Saga (810-823)

Mist and fog shroud out
the dust of the world.
Mountain and stream embellish
the place where I live.
At a time like this,
should I turn to scribbling poems,
the breeze and moon would surely
look down on me with scorn.

~ Tami No Kurohito

Stillness is one.
It has no before or after,
No inside or outside.

~ Luo Hongxian (1504-1564)

I twist vines to fashion a hanging curtain,
pillow my head on a stone,
lie down among cliffs.
I’ve made off with my body,
far from worldly cares;
cleansing my mind,
I hold fast to the True Void.

~ Priest Doji (d. 744)

Before there is feeling,
Stillness is not increased.
Stillness is not there
Only when there is no thought
And no knowing.
After there is feeling,
Stillness is not obliterated.
It is not that stillness is absent
After there is thought and knowing.
This empty, aware, undimmed
Essence is what is called the Tao.

~ Luo Hongxian (1504-1564)

I have discarded the world of fame and profit.
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,
And drink the spring water and relax in joy.
I penetrate into the wonders of Tao,
And chant ancient sutras.

When my mind is at ease, my spirit is gay.
When 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;
As at the beginning of Heaven and Earth.

~ Ni Tsan (1301-1374)