Contemplative Morning Words

Author: Master Zhenyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Striving against the clock only slightly relieves the chill, as spring warmth briefly appears, yet a sense of summer's approach emerges—is it the Earth's rotation that has accelerated, or the sun moving faster? Time passes mercilessly; reflecting on this life, what traces have we left in this space and time? How much time and path remain for us to walk? Fearing the passage of time, we have poured much effort, devised countless methods to retain it, yet the result is—wasting more time with nothing accomplished! Many are lost in seeking illusory traces, thus stagnating. No matter how much time there is, or how long the path, it is useless in the end, yielding no gains. "Time" should be grasped second by second; "Path" should be walked step by step, and then this life will be free of regrets! Time is precious—look toward the sky ahead. The sun slowly emerges from the clouds, gazing intently, yet inch by inch, second by second, it rises and ascends. In reality, it is also sinking without pause at the same instant. Is it rising? Is it sinking? From the perspective of Buddhist teachings on worldly matters, it is both rising and sinking; yet essentially, it neither rises nor sinks—it is eternally still and motionless. This is because it is the Earth's rotation, not the sun's rising and setting, which is part of the process of movement within space and time. In this fleeting life of a few decades, both you and I should cherish our time and strive to enrich ourselves. Frequently engage in quiet reflection and self-examination to dispel the ripples in your hearts—the ignorance (avidya)—and uncover the source of wisdom. Then, nothing in the worldly or transcendent realms will be beyond understanding. Wisdom is continuously cultivated through learning, tempering, and development second by second; merits are also achieved through the relentless accumulation and effort of day after day, month after month, year after year, ultimately accomplishing boundless merits.