Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 112
47 The Great Way
The Great Way is immense and boundless, restraining nothing.
The self nature is serene, neither virtuous nor evil.
Yet a thought of choice arises, instantly creating a number of faults,
and separating sky from earth.
Holiness and unholiness are from same root;
Right and wrong have no two ways.
Thus sinfulness and blessedness are originally void;
The cause and effect relationship is ultimately unreal.
All human beings already complete the Great Way; All that we have is
already perfect.
The Buddha nature, and the true body of all phenomena are just like
images and shadows, apparently appearing and disappearing, neither
one nor many.
The nose points straight down; The eyebrows lay across your face,
above your eyes. Yet it’s very hard for you to see them.
You have to examine why the ancient masters said, “The three
thousand dharma-gates point to one heart; countless profound activities
come from the original mind.” Thus you already complete the gates of
precepts, meditation and wisdom; just observe yourself.
