| Zen
Master Ryokan Thoughts When all thoughts Are exhausted I slip into the woods And gather A pile of shepherd's purse. Like the little stream Making its way Through the mossy crevices I, too, quietly Turn clear and transparent. no-mind The flower invites the butterfly with no-mind; The butterfly visits the flower with no-mind. The flower opens, the butterfly comes; The butterfly comes, the flower opens. I don't know others, Others don't know me. By not-knowing we follow nature's course. from "Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf" translated by John Stevens |
| *ANANDA* Even Shakyamuni could never tame Ananda but Kashyapa kicked him out and tamed him. Throw away all you know. Throw away all you don't know. Then and only then one star shines bright. *A SMILE* Shakyamuni held up a lotus so Kashyapa smiled. Not at all. The lotus smiled so Kashyapa smiled. Nowhere was Shakyamuni! These are all from: 'Beyond Self: 108 Korean Zen Poems'by Ko Un *THE HERMIT* Jang Ku-Song the hermit was busy shitting when he heard frogs croaking. It made him recite The croaking of frogs on moonlit nights in early spring pierces the world from end to end, makes us all one family. Look, if you've had your shit, wipe yourself and get out of here. *A SHOOTING STAR* Wow! You recognized me. |