It's Not That Difficult

DHS 123

The Mind Of Absolute Trust
(an excerpt)

The Great Way isn't difficult
     for those who are unattached
     to their preferences.
Let go of longing and aversion
     and everything will be
     perfectly clear.
When you cling to a hairbreadth of distinction
     heaven and earth
     are set apart.
If you want to realize the truth,
     don't be for or against.
The struggle between good and evil
     is the primal disease
     of the mind.
Not grasping the deepest meaning,
     you just trouble
     your mind's serenity.
As vast as infinite space,
     it is perfect
     and lacks nothing.
But because you select and reject,
     you can't persceive
     its true nature.
Don't get entangled in the world;
     don't lose yourself in emptiness.
Be at peace in the oneness of things,
     and all errors will
     disappear by themselves.

If you don't live in the Tao,
     you fall into assertion or denial.
Asserting that the world is real,
     you are blind to its deeper reality;
denying that the world is real,
     you are blind to the selflessness
     of all things.
The more you think about these matters
     the farther you are
     from the truth.
Step aside from all thinking,
     and there is nowhere you can't go
Returning to the root, you find the meaning;
     chasing appearances,
     you lose their source.
At the moment of profound insight,
     you transcend both
     appearance and emptiness.
Don't keep searching for the truth;
     just let go of your opinions.

Seng-Ts'an
In Ten Poems To Last A Lifetime

Every time i read this i can't help but say to myself some variation of, "Well, that's obvious. What's the big deal? This guy got famous for this?" I should get myself quoted as saying (standing tall and with chest out, but humbly, of course):

The Mind Of Absolute Trust

If you want to pass
     your math class,
You have to accept that
     two plus two equals four—
     and so does two times two.
Don't pick and choose
     your own version of truth.
Have a different opinion
     and you will only
     disturb your mind...
and fail your tests
and be held back in 2nd grade
for 10 consecutive years
and make french fries
and server hamburgers
for minimum wage
for the rest of your life.

The more you think about these things,
     the more your head will hurt.
Just accept and trust,
     your teacher knows more than you.
Unless being poor
is attractive to you.

Lao Bendan

There, it's out in the public. Maybe i'll become famous someday as well? Or are you going to try and tell me there was more meaning in Seng-Ts'an's poem than in mine?