THE WAY OF LIFE
Venerable Master Hsing Yun (1927- , Fo Guang Shan)
English translation: man Ho, Tom manzo, and Shujan Cheng
Spring is not just a season,
but a state of mind.
Life is not in body only,
but also in the mind.
Old age does not mean living many years,
but thinking you are old.
Our lives are measured by eternity, not years.
A kind-hearted moment will bring endless merit.
A pure-hearted moment will bring innumerable virtue.
An enlightened moment will bring infinite wonder.
A pure, empty-minded moment will bring the origin of no-notion.
See endless worlds in a grain of sand.
Hear truth in the roar of raging waters.
Grasp eternity in a moment’s cause and condition.
Discern your Buddha nature in the bright moon and cool breeze.
Sunrise and sunset give us rose-pink clouds.
The changing month gives us a bright full moon.
The sorrow of painting and joy of meeting
lead us to cherish the time we are together.
The suffering, emptiness, and impermanence
of the world manifest the truth.
* Humble Table, Wise Fare