Truth helps me (poem)

When the facts be known,
all romantic and silly notions
fall away, to be forgotten
as the truth helps me see
the situation oh-so-clearly.

Yet I do not mourn the loss
of passion, for my heart has
risen above it all, only to
come to know true love
in its many-splendored guise.

Indeed, passion lost implies
freedom's reign over desire.
Through mindful control of passion,
the ego's hold on the mind
is released forevermore.

By letting go of clinging,
I let unconditional love
inspire me to see the truth
of egolessness in life.
For that I am so grateful.

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Originally posted March 15, 2005 at 9:48 PM

The Pure Land of One's Own Essence of Mind

Hui-Neng said:

For a fair mind,
observation of precepts (Sila)
is unnecessary.

For straightforward behavior,
practice in Dhyana (contemplation)
may be dispensed with.

On the principle of gratefulness,
we support our parents and serve them filially.

On the principle of righteousness,
the superior and the inferior stand
for each other (in time of need).

On the principle of mutual desire
to please, the senior and junior
are on affectionate terms.

On the principle of forbearance,
we do not quarrel even in
the midst of a hostile crowd.

If we can persevere until
fire can be obtained through
rubbing a piece of wood,

Then the red lotus (the Buddha-nature)
will shoot out from the black mire (the unenlightened state).

That which is of bitter taste
is bound to be good medicine.

That which sounds unpleasant
to the ear is certainly frank advice.

By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom.

By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.

In our daily life we should
always practice altruism,
but Buddhahood is not to be attained
by giving away money as charity.

Bodhi is to be found
within our own mind,
and there is no necessity
to look for mysticism from without.

Hearers of this stanza
who put its teaching
into actual practice
will find paradise in
their very presence.

"All of you should put into practice what is taught in this stanza, so that you can realize the Essence of Mind and attain Buddhahood directly. The Dharma waits for no one." — Sixth Patriarch Hui-Neng

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Reference:
Formless stanza quote: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng3.html

La Liberté dans Solitude / The Freedom in Solitude (poem)

Je suis seul et heureux avec elle!
Ce n'est pas un problème pour moi.
C'est la liberté que j'aimez
tres beaucoup, d'autant
plus que je ne croyais possible,
Car je suis reconnaissant à
amis, famille et quelquefois inconnus!

[Translation:English]

I am single and happy with it!
This isn't a problem for me.
It's the freedom that I enjoy
very much, especially
more than I thought possible,
because I am grateful to
friends, family and sometimes strangers!