Zen Link

Author: Shen Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: "The layman of the hidden sea" Wu Ke said, "To compose poetry is like practicing Zen, one must have an epiphany." "The great master of his generation" Yuan Haowen also said: "Zen is the jade knife that cuts through poetry, and poetry is the floral brocade that adorns the Zen practitioner." Using couplets to compare poetry, what these two sages said is equally applicable to couplets. Zen couplets are substantial yet ethereal, passionate yet tranquil, with a vast cultural heritage. Reading them is like sweet dew nourishing the heart, and admiring them is like nectar reviving the mind. Zen couplets will guide readers to wholeheartedly engage in life, to carry forward the legacy of human brightness and forget the troubles of fame and fortune, to avoid foolish disputes, to break free from the bonds of favor and disgrace, to awaken wisdom, to calm restless minds, to polish the mirror of the soul, to extinguish the fire of desire, to ignite the sacred lamp of attachment, to break through rigid shackles, and to welcome clear light. They will never sink passively in the whirlpool of material desires but will actively advance on the path of reform and opening-up. In short, Zen couplets are not about interpreting Buddhist principles or doctrines but are devoted to purifying the mind. May Zen couplets bring readers spiritual insight, the purity of Bodhi, the perspective of Prajna, and spiritual elevation. This is precisely: Zen couplets are concise, elegant, and enduring, like maxims, and as profound as precepts. "Like fish drinking water," savor it carefully; "warm and cool known only to oneself," the Dao is infinitely profound. If one can understand the mind through Zen and see the nature through couplets, the compiler's wish will be fulfilled, truly a triple blessing.