Reflections from Zen Master Bankei
The innate mind is eternal and indestructible
The elements of earth, water, fire, and wind
Are temporary shelters
Do not cling to this transient burning abode
You ignite the fire, fuel the flames
And in it, you are consumed
Maintain your mind as it was
When you entered this world
Instantly, this very self becomes a living Buddha
Notions of good and bad
Stem from your own perceptions
A bonfire in winter
Evokes joy
But in summertime, it becomes a nuisance
The breezes you cherished in summer
Before autumn ends
Have already turned burdensome
Surrendering your life
For the sake of material wealth
Yet in the face of death
Your riches hold no value
Attachment, desire, and the like
Do not occupy my thoughts
Hence, I can confidently declare
The entire world belongs to me!
Ultimately, this transient world
Is illusory
Instead of clinging to thoughts in
Your mind, let them go and sing!
Only the original mind endures
In the past and the future alike
Instead of fixating on thoughts in
Your mind, release them!
By birthing
the tormenting mind yourself
You alone are responsible for its anguish
When you err
Your mind becomes the tormentor
There exists no external hell
To be found
Despising hell
Craving heaven
You subject yourself to suffering
In a world filled with joy
Believing that virtue
Requires disdain for vice
Yet vice lies in
The very mind that despises
Fame, fortune, indulgence in
pleasure, rest, and sensory gratification –
Once you indulge in these Five Desires
They become
Your compass in life
Notions of what is right
Were never inherent
Engaging in disputes over right and wrong
Originates from the false “I”
Upon completing your exploration
Of Reality, you realize
There is nothing new
If you believe the mind
That achieves enlightenment
Belongs to “me” Your thoughts will clash, one against the other
Presently, I am not preoccupied with
Constantly attaining enlightenment
The outcome is a morning awakening feeling refreshed!
Seeking salvation in the afterlife
Pursuing personal gain
Only amplifies
Egotism and conceit
Perish — then thrive
Within the world day and night
Once achieved, you can
Grasp the world firmly in your hand!
If you seek the Pure Land
For personal gain
You will only find yourself
Disdained by the Buddha indeed!
People have no adversaries
From the outset
You fabricate them
Engaging in conflicts over right and wrong
The mechanisms of cause and effect are clear
You fall into delusion, unaware
It is your own doing
This is known as self-centeredness
Though time may advance
The original Mind remains timeless
This unchanging mind
Truly remarkable!
Having sought and discovered at last
The one who remains forever young
— “Myself alone!”
The Pure Land
Where one finds serenity
Is here and now, not distant
Millions of leagues away
When a tea bowl is tossed to you
— Catch it!
Catch it swiftly with gentle hands
With the dexterity of your mindful spirit!