Living a life of vow

A record of my training as a chaplain and other things Zen.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Life-and-Death by Kosho Uchiyama


I have read this poem at a bedside and have thought of it often, forgetting it is written by one of my favorite teachers!  Posted here so I can find easily!

Life-and-Death by Kosho Uchiyama

Water isn't formed by being ladled into a bucket
Simply the water of the whole universe has been ladled into a bucket
The water does not disappear because it has been scattered over the ground
It is only that the water of the whole universe has been emptied into the whole universe
Life is not born because a person is born
The life of the whole universe has been ladled into the hardened "idea" called "I"
Life does not disappear because a person dies
Simply, the life of the whole universe has been poured out of this hardened "idea" of "I" back into the universe

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