Zen Poem

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No-Mind

Versified questions and replies between T'ang emperor Shun-tsung (順宗) and Ch'an master Fo-kuang Ju-man (佛光如滿 Bukkõ Nyoman):

佛從何方來         From where did the Buddha come,

滅向何方去         To where did the Buddha go?

既言常住世         If the Buddha is still around,

佛今在何處         Where can be the Buddha found?     Shun-tsung

佛從無爲來         From non-activity the Buddha came

滅向無爲去         To non-activity the Buddha disappeared.

法身滿虚空         Cosmic reality his spiritual body is,

常住無心處         In no-mind the Buddha will appear. Ju-man

山河與大海         Great mountains, rivers and seas,

天地及日月         Heaven and earth, sun and moon.

時至皆歸盡         Who says there is no birth and death?

誰言不生滅         For even these meet their end soon.  Shun-tsung

生亦未曾生         Birth is also before birth,

滅亦未曾滅         Death is also before death.

了見無生處         If you have attained no-mind,

自然無法説         Naturally there will be nothing left.  Ju-man

(The Complete Book of Zen 242-3)

"Emperor Soon Zong of the Tand dynasty asked the Zen master Ru Man, in poetic style:" (The Complete Book of Zen 242)

(In The Complete Book of Zen, the longer verses are used partly to make quatrains. The original verses run as follows (the verses used in the above poems are emphasized):

Shun-tsung asked: 佛從何方來、滅向何方去、既言常住世、佛今在何處。

Ju-man replied:

佛從無爲來、滅向無爲去、法身滿虚空、常住無心處。有念歸無念、有住歸無住、來爲眾生來、去爲眾生去。清淨眞如海、湛然體常住、智者常思維、更勿生疑慮。

Shun-tsung asked:

佛向王宮來、滅向雙林滅、住世四十九、又言無法説。山河與大海、天地及日月、時至皆歸盡、誰言不生滅? 疑情猶若斯、智者善分別。

Ju-man replied:

佛體本無爲、迷情妄分別、法身等虚空、未曾有生滅。有緣佛出世、無緣佛入滅、處處化眾生、猶如水中月。非常亦非斷、非生亦非滅、生亦未曾生、滅亦未曾滅、了見無生處、自然無法説。)

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