Do not be deceived. There is no Dharma outside; neither can it be obtained from the inside. Rather than listening to my words, better to calm down and seek nothing further. Do not cling to what has already happened, nor leave what has not yet happened to happen. This is better than ten year’s pilgrimage.
Commentary:
‘Do not be deceived’ means that we should see and hear what reaches our eyes and ears as it is without being deluded by its illusion. Dharma, the true-Self implies the state without any names, imaginary lines. That situation cannot admit of even Dharma to talk about, not to speak of outside and inside. Neither can there be anyone to deliver a dharma talk nor anyone to listen to it. This is why Master Rinzai said, “Rather than listening to my words, better to calm down and seek nothing further”. ‘Do not cling to what has already happened, nor leave what has not yet happened to happen’ means that we should not be deluded by the illusions of the past nor should we be deluded by the illusions of the future. This, irrespective of whether we are Zen practitioners or not, implies a lot to modern people who miss the happiness before their eyes due to being preoccupied with the past that is gone and the future that has not yet come.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography
Zen Fools 