Praises to the Buddha (poem)

Breathing in and out,
This old fool wants not a thing,
For he is no one
But a bag of bones, awake
And marveling at it all.

Once he was as young
As a child so long ago -
But now, young at heart,
He sits in silence, alone
And with a smile on his face.

Breathing in and out,
This old fool knows not a thing,
Yet he is quiet
While sitting there, alone
With the Buddha in his heart.

When he was so young,
A child, this old man did err,
Yet such innocence
Deserves mercy even now -
Thankfulness is his mantra.

Breathing in and out,
This old fool sees everything -
This dear saha world,
And the Pure Land awaiting...
His fate is truly assured.

Once he was so young,
But now this man is so old,
His mind is awakened
By Nirvana's splendid bliss.
Ah! Praises to the Buddha

No Buddha Apart from Beings

All beings are by nature Buddha,
as ice by nature is water.
Apart from water there is no ice;
apart from beings, no Buddha.
— Hakuin Zenji, "Song of Zazen"