STUDY IN CHINA GLOBAL (SCG)Writing About My Visit to Chan Master Ming, Western Mountain Buddhist Temple
题 明 禅 师 西 山 兰 若
西 山 多 寄 状
秀 出 倚 前 楹。
停 牛 收 彩 翠
夕 阳 照 分 明。
吾 师 住 其 下
禅 坐 证 无 生。
结 庐 就 嵌 窟
剪 竹 通 径 行。
谈 空 对 樵 叟
授 法 与 山 精。
日 暮 方 辞 去
田 园 归 治 城。
Ti Ming Chan Shi Xi Shan Lan Re
Xi shan duo ji zhuang
Xiu chu yi qian ying.
Ting niu shou cai cui
Xi yang zhao fen ming.
Wu shi zhu qi xia
Chan zuo zheng wu sheng.
Jie lu jiu qian ku
Jian zhu tong jing xing.
Tan kong dui qiao sou
Shou fa you shan jing.
Ri mu fang ci qu
Tian yuan gui zhi cheng.
Writing About My Visit to Chan Master Ming,
Western Mountains Buddhist Temple
In the western mountains, many special shapes
Lean against the temple pillar, viewing this beautiful scenery.
Afternoons have a collection of many greens
Setting sunlight shines very clear.
You are smart to live under this mountain
To sit in deep meditation demonstrates No Rebirth.
Built your house into the mountainside
Trimmed the bamboo to open up a footpath.
Talk about Emptiness with the woodcutters
This spiritual path associated with mountain spirits.
At sunset turn to go back home
Return to the gardens and houses of Zhi City.
Notes:
No Rebirth or No Birth: With a deep enought Buddhist Enlightenment, the enlightened never again have to be reborn into this world of suffering. This is the end of reincarnation. Also known as the end of lunhui, which literally means turning the wheel, the recurring cycle of life and death, or samsara. For some Buddhists No Rebirth represents the third of fourth stages to Buddhahood. Stage one is for the river-finder, who feels impermanence by letting go of self. The second stage involves letting go of being, which means a return for one more birth. Stage three occurs when life is let go. The fourth and final stage is reached when the soul is let go, ending existence of emptiness.
Emptiness: A basic and fundamental doctrine of Buddhism, and what the Buddha awakened to upon Enlightenment. This emptiness refers to the lack of a self-existent, independent nature for people, places, things, thoughts, dharmas, space and time. There are no more illusions of separateness. Laozi called it “wu”.
Woodcutters: People who follow the Way (Dao), and/or those who have stepped off the wheel of birth and life.
Mountain spirits: Can mean the many spirits of the mountain forests, and/or the mountains’ essence.
