Well, he tends to be very simple. That's probably what you don't like. But, maybe it really is that simple? Maybe it's just a matter of actually doing it. But, as I recall, 'nothing to do, nowhere to go' was more philosophically enticing...or 'edgy'...which is why I liked it... But when I read him, I sometimes wonder to myself...maybe it is that simple...
Excellent, round 2. With your permission, Mister P (Twistedd), I'll sit in here with you and occupy a space on this floor.
Song of Original Mind (Honshin no uta) (Bankei is said to have composed this series of verses in 1653 when he was living in retreat in the mountains of Yos/zmo. Different versions and arrangements of the verses exist, and it is not known which represents the poem's original form. One text states that Bankei composed the poem as instruction for the local children. Another gives the explanation that to combat a severe drought which afflicted the area, Bankei had the villagers, young and old alike, sing the verses as they danced at the local shrine. The result was a plentiful rainfall, and thereafter the performance of Bankei's "rain song" became a local tradition. This account explains why the poem is also known as Amagoi-uta, "Pray-ing-for-Rain Song," and Odori-uta, "Dance Song." It is, however, unclear why it sometimes appears under the title Usuhiki-uta, or "Milling Song," a type of song sung while grinding flour.) Bankei's Song of Original Mind Unborn and imperishable Is the original mind Earth, water, fire and wind A temporary lodging for the night Attached to this Ephemeral burning house You yourselves light the fire, kindle the flames In which you're consumed Keep your mind as it was When you came into the world And instantly this very self Is a living "thus-come" one Ideas of What's good, what's bad All due to This self of yours In winter, a bonfire Spells delight But when summertime arrives What a nuisance it becomes! And the breezes You loved in summer Even before the autumn's gone Already have become a bother Throwing your whole life away Sacrificed to the thirst for gold But when you saw your life was through All your money was no use Clinging, craving and the like I don't have them on my mind That's why nowadays I can say The whole world is truly mine! Since, after all this floating world Is unreal Instead of holding onto things in Your mind, go and sing! Only original mind exists In the past and in the future too Instead of holding onto things in Your mind, let them go! Having created the demon mind yourself When it torments you mercilessly You're to blame and no one else When you do wrong our mind's the demon There's no hell To be found outside Abominating hell Longing for heaven You make yourself suffer In a joyful world You think that good Means hating what is bad What's bad is The hating mind itself Fame, wealth, eating and drinking, sleep and sensual delight - Once you've leaned the Five Desires They become Your guide in life Notions of what one should do Never existed from the start Fighting about what's right, what's wrong That's the doing of the "I" When your study Of Buddhism is through You find You haven't anything new If you think the mind That attains enlightenment Is "mine" Your thoughts will wrestle, one with the other These days I'm not bothering about Getting enlightenment all the time And the result is I wake up in the morning feeling fine! Praying for salvation in the world to come Praying for your own selfish ends Is only piling on more and more Self-centeredness and arrogance Die - then live Day and night within the world Once you've done this, then you can Hold the world right in your hand! If you search for the Pure Land Bent upon your own reward You'll only find yourself despised By the Buddha after all! People have no enemies None at all right from the start You create them all yourself Fighting over right and wrong Clear are the workings of cause and effect You become deluded, but don't know It's something that you've done yourself That's what's called self-centeredness Though the years may creep ahead Mind itself can never age This mind that's Always just the same Wonderful! Marvelous! When you've searched and found at last The one who never will grow old - "I alone!" The Pure Land Where one communes at peace Is here and now, it's not remote Millions and millions of leagues away When someone tosses you a tea bowl - Catch it! Catch it nimbly with soft cotton With the cotton of your skillful mind! From BANKEI ZEN, Translations from the Record of Bankei by Peter Haskel
The person who put me on to Thay likes to describe Buddhism as something you do where the western religions are more about beliefs.