Archive for June, 2001

Method as a silvery stream

Friday, June 29th, 2001

Be soft in your practice.
Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall.
Follow the stream, have faith in its course.
It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there.
It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices.
Just follow it.
Never let it out of your sight.
It will take you.

- Sheng-yen.

Winter

Friday, June 22nd, 2001

In winter,
the seven stars
walk upon a crystal forest

- Soen Nakagawa.

The penetrating sword

Wednesday, June 20th, 2001

The penetrating brilliance
Of swords
Wielded by followers of the Way
Strikes at the enemy
Lurking deep within
Their own souls and bodies.

- Morihei Ueshiba

attaining happiness

Thursday, June 7th, 2001

I cannot tell if what the world considers ‘happiness’ is happiness or not.

All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction.

All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness.

- Chuang-tzu.

poison zen

Thursday, June 7th, 2001

Eyes blinded by three poisons,
Yet once all ties are cut,
How restful.
Wicker hat donned,
Cane held firm,
How vast the sky!

- Ungo (1583-1659)