Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 194
82 Always There
Even when the clouds cover and make illusions appear,
the sun is always in the sky, circular and bright.
If the wind comes and blows the clouds away,
you will see countless worlds brightened, unobstructed.
THỦY NGUYỆT (1637 - 1704)
(COMMENT: Always there? The eternity? The countless heavens? Or
any eternal soul? We should be careful here. Words are very slippery
here. Buddha says all things are changing endlessly, and there is not
any eternal soul. Buddha also says Nirvana is the eternal bliss, is the
unborn and undying, and is the state of mind when all desires are burnt
out.
Don’t step on words. Just practice carefully, watch the mind
continuously. The eternity is in front of your eyes now, and has no
form. Also, the eternity has no past and future in itself. Watch the
present moment, and see your one thought lasting three thousand
years. That is Zen. Oops… a lot of words here.)
