Paramita (poem)

Hui Neng said:
What is Paramita?
It is a Sanskrit word,
meaning 'to the opposite shore'.
Figuratively, it means
'above existence and non-existence'.
By clinging to sense objects,
existence or non-existence
arises like the up and down
of the billowy sea, and
such a state is called
metaphorically 'this shore';
while by non-attachment
a state above existence
and non-existence,
like smoothly running water
is attained, and this is
called 'the opposite shore'.
This is why it is called 'Paramita'.