 Spiri twalk Reader
The Great Way is not difficult . 至道无难
for those who have no preferences. 惟嫌拣择
When love and hate are both absent 但莫憎爱
everything becomes clear and undisguised. 洞然明白
Make the smallest distinction, however, 毫厘有差
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. 天地悬隔
If you wish to see the truth 欲得现前
then hold no opinions for or against anything. 莫存顺逆
To set up what you like against what you dislike 违顺相争
is the disease of the mind. 是为心病
When the deep meaning of things is not understood, 不识玄旨
the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail. 徒劳念静
The Way is perfect like vast space 圆同太虚
where nothing is lacking and nothing in excess. 无欠无余
Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject 良由取舍
that we do not see the true nature of things. 所以不如
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things, 莫逐有缘
nor in inner feelings of emptiness. 勿住空忍
Be serene in the oneness of things and such 一种平怀
erroneous views will disappear by themselves. 泯然自尽
When you try to stop activity by passivity 止动归止
your very effort fills you with activity. 止更弥动
As long as you remain in one extreme or the other 惟滞两边
you will never know Oneness. 宁知一种
Those who do not live in the single Way 一种不通
fail in both activity and passivity,
assertion and denial.
To deny the reality of things 两处失功
is to miss their reality;
To assert the emptiness of things
is to miss their reality.
The more you talk and think about it, 多言多虑
the further astray you wander from the truth. 转不相应
Stop talking and thinking, 绝言绝虑
and there is nothing you will not be able to know. 无处不通
To return to the root is to find meaning, 归根得旨
but to pursue appearances is to miss the source. 随照失踪
At the moment of inner enlightenment 须臾反照
there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness. 胜却前空
The changes that appear to occur in the empty world 前空转变
we call real only because of our ignorance. 皆由妄见
Do not search for the truth; 不用求真
only cease to cherish opinions. 惟须息见
do not remain in the dualistic state. 二见不住
Avoid such pursuits carefully. 慎莫追寻
If there is even a trace of this and that, 才有是非
of right and wrong,
the mind-essence will be lost in confusion. 纷然失心
Although all dualities come from the One, 二由一有
do not be attached even to this One. 一亦莫守
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, 一心不生
nothing in the world can offend. 万法无咎
And when a thing can no longer offend, 无咎无法
it ceases to exist in the old way.
When no discriminating thoughts arise, 不生不心
the old mind ceases to exist.
When thought objects vanish, 能由境灭
the thinking-subject vanishes: 境逐能沉
As when the mind vanishes, objects vanish. 境由能境
Things are objects because of the subject (mind): 能由境能
the mind (subject) is such because of things (object).
Understand the relativity of these two 欲知两段
and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness. 原是一空
In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable 一空同两
and each contains in itself the whole world. 齐含万象
If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine 不见粗精
you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion. 宁有偏党
To live in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult.大道体宽，无易无难
But those with limited views are fearful and irresolute: 小见狐疑
the faster they hurry, the slower they go. 转急转迟
And clinging (attachment) cannot be limited: 执之失度
Even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment
is to go astray. 必入邪路
Just let things be in their own way 放之自然
and there will be neither coming not going. 体无去住
Obey the nature of things (your own nature) 任性合道
and you will walk freely and undisturbed. 逍遥绝恼
When the thought is in bondage the truth is hidden 系念乖真
for everything is murky and unclear. 昏沉不好
And the burdensome practice of judging 不好劳神
brings annoyance and weariness.
What benefit can be derived 何用疏亲
from distinctions and separations?
If you wish to move in the One Way 欲取一承
do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas. 勿恶六尘
Indeed, to accept them fully 六尘不恶
is identical with enlightenment. 还同正觉
The wise man strives to no goals 智者无为
but the foolish man fetters himself. 愚人自缚
There is one Dharma, not many. 法无异法
Distinctions arise 妄自爱著
from the clinging needs of the ignorant.
To seek Mind with the (discriminating) mind 将心用心
is the greatest of all mistakes. 岂非大错
Rest and unrest derive from illusion; 迷生寂乱
with enlightenment 悟无好恶
there is no liking and disliking.
All dualities come from ignorant inference. 一切两边，良由斟酌
They are like dreams or flowers in air - 梦幻空花
foolish to try to grasp them. 何劳把捉
Gain and loss, right and wrong, 得失是非
such thoughts must 一时放却
finally be abolished at once.
If the eye never sleeps, 眼若不寐
all dreams will naturally cease. 诸梦自除
If the mind makes no discriminations, 心若不异
the ten thousand things are as they are, 万法一如
of single essence.
To understand the mystery of this One-essence 一如体玄
is to be released from all entanglements. 兀尔忘缘
When all things are seen equally 万法齐观
the timeless Self-essence is reached, 归复自然
No comparisons or analogies are possible 泯其所以
in this causeless, relationless state. 不可方比
Consider movement stationary 止动无动
and the stationary in motion, 动止无止
both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist 两既不成
Oneness itself cannot exist. 一何有尔
To this ultimate finality 究竟穷极
no law or description applies. 不存轨则
For the unified mind in accord with the way 契心平等
all self-centered striving ceases. 所作俱息
Doubts and irresolutions vanish 狐疑尽净
and life in true faith is possible. 正信调直
With a single stroke we are freed from bondage: 一切不留
Nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing. 无可记忆
All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, 虚明自照
with no exertion of the mind's power. 不劳心神
Here thought, feeling, 非思量处
knowledge and imagination are of no value. 识情难测
In this world of suchness 真如法界
there is neither self nor other-than-self. 无他无自
To come directly into harmony with this reality 要急相应
just say when doubt rises "not two". 惟言不二
In this "not two" nothing is separate, 不二皆同
nothing is excluded. 无不包容
No matter when or where, 十方智者
enlightenment means entering this truth. 皆入此宗
And this truth is beyond extension 宗非延促
or diminution in time and space:
In it a single thought is ten thousand years. 一年万年
Emptiness here, emptiness there, 无在不在
but the infinite universe 十方目前
stands always before your eyes.
Infinitely large and infinitely small; 极小同大
no difference, for definitions have vanished 忘绝境界
and no boundaries are seen. 极大同小，不见边表
So too with Being and non-Being. 有即是无，无即是无
Don't waste time in doubts and arguments 若不如是
That have nothing to do with this. 必不须守
One thing, all things, 一即一切
move among and intermingle without distinction. 一切即一
To live in this realization 但能如是
is to be without anxiety about non-perfection. 何虑不毕
To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, 信心不二
because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind. 不二信心
Words! 言语道断
The Way is beyond language,
for in it there is
no yesterday 非去来今
no tomorrow
no today.
~ Seng-t'san, the third Zen Patriarch
translated from the Chinese by Richard B. Clarke
~ in Jack Kornfield, Teachings of the Buddha
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