(Lin Yutang's poems give me a
sense of calmness and reminder of the essential points of
dharma. Just to share some samples below...
you can find his website at: http://yogilin.net/
note that his poems are translated from chinese
and may seem awkward in phrasing sometimes... pls ignore all the
coloring... i had some trouble with cut-and-paste...
enjoy! )
The Grace of
Hindrances in the Light of Oneness
Yutang
Lin
Encountering obstructions is a matter of daily life;
Hardship adding to suffering forces beings to seek
emancipation.
Setback and depression reveals ones propensity and habits;
Suspicion, jealousy and slander are passes to conquer.
Steep mountains and rapid rivers enrich training and
experiences;
Blocking in front and pulling in rear open together a sidewise
path.
Purity permeates in harmony, sublimating poisons and dirt to
naught,
Then the grace of hindrances in the light of Oneness is
appreciated.
Written in Chinese:
July 19,
1998
Comment added in Chinese later
on July 25,
1998:
Upasaka Stanley Lam considered
the content of this poem as being very helpful to the growth of
practitioners, and asked me to write a short explanation to expound
the hidden significance. Thereupon I wrote the epilog as
follows:
In life it is indeed
inevitable to come across tragic accidents or frustrating
situations. All sorts of hardship and suffering keep on
accumulating, thereby forcing people to seek out paths to
liberation. This is the background that led to peoples engaging in
spiritual practices. In the face of setback and long-term
depression, various sinister habits and propensities in peoples
mind would readily reveal themselves in thoughts, emotions,
speeches and actions. A practitioner may thus become aware of his
or her infirmity, and treat it through antidotal, mediate or
sublimate ways. Human relationship are infested with suspicions,
jealousy and slanders. A practitioner at such a juncture should not
fall into the swamp of entanglement; instead, simply continue to
follow the guidance of Bodhicitta in actively participating in
Dharma practices and services, and then after having passed the
test of months and years, all such difficulties would just fade
away. Consider the various difficulties and hardships as trials on
the path, then the more dangerous and steep the pass, the better it
would enhance the practitioners ability to endure, adjust and
sustain. When hindrance, interference and drag arise, a
practitioner would not argue or fight with others, but choose to go
on a new path and thereby experience deeper the vast openness of
the whole Dharmadhatu.
After long years of practicing
as described above, all the poisons and dirt of attachment,
calculation, habitual propensities, sinister thoughts, greed and
hatred in the practitioners mind would have faded away, and only
pure innocence permeates. In this pure innocence there is no longer
any entanglement or haggling with people over matters, only
relaxation and tranquillity naturally prevail. Furthermore, to all
the hardships, suffering and hindrance that one has ever
encountered one is forever grateful because they have helped ones
Bodhicitta to sprout, grow, be tried, and mature. After Bodhicitta
has outgrown self-centered antagonism in this way, it unfolds
without boundary to all sentient beings in the limitless time and
space of the whole Dharmadhatu, and saturate the limitless-oneness
which encompasses the whole Dharmadhatu.
Translated:
August 14,
1999
El
Cerrito, California
Respect Others'
Wills
Yutang
Lin
Others' wills should always be respected carefully;
Consequences of actions will be born individually.
Step after step involved and stirs up causal ripples;
What minds long for will lead and form the tracks.
Comment:
To practice non-self one should
respect others' wills. When the significance of causal laws are
fully comprehended, one sees clearly that no one can take over the
consequences of others' actions, and hence one would not make
decisions for others. Each step in the course of one's life
involves many causal conditions; only firm resolutions could lead
and shape paths.
Written in Chinese on March 16,
2003
Translated on March 20,
2003
El Cerrito, California
Should Work
Harder
Yutang
Lin
Deep sufferings and drastic calamities shot up frequently.
Wished to avert enraged waves and yet lacked the power.
At junctures of hardships one should not regress in distress.
A Bodhisattva's perseverance will be even more
prominent!
Comment:
In view of the profoundness of
sufferings and the frequency of calamities in the world, some
practitioner would raise the thought of giving up or regress. In
light of the great Bodhi mind, gatherings of sufferings should be
the causal conditions for a Dharma practitioner to make even more
strenuous efforts. Endless salvation is to guide beings from within
transmigration to liberation from sufferings, but not to escape
from the world for personal immunity.
Written in Chinese and translated on January 13,
2005
El Cerrito, California
Let Go Whenever
Possible
Yutang
Lin
Major or minor
matters are all pulling strings and hanging hooks.
Let go of any when possible would increase degree of freedom.
Right in the middle of daily life, try to apply this awareness
well,
Then even while juggling mundane affairs one could feel at
ease.
Comment:
Be it major or minor, a matter
would hang in the mind. Regardless of being loose or tight, a
grasping would tie. Comprehending the nature of such facts, let go
whenever possible. Thus freedom would increase, and moving around
would be easy.
Written in Chinese and
translated on March 7,
2006
El
Cerrito, California
Minding Others'
Business
Yutang
Lin
Intending to mind
others' business, one's grasping is deep indeed.
Whatever others do will be criticized, causing others
resentments.
To practice Dharma one should learn to check on oneself at
first:
Which among my intentions and behaviors is agreeable to
Bodhi?
Comment:
Practicing Dharma is not for
self-interests; rather it is for all beings to attain Bodhi.
Criticizing others at their every move, not realizing that this
reflects deep grasping of one's own. Benefiting others has not yet
become apparent, and yet their feelings of loathsomeness have
already been rooted. Why not cultivate oneself first by constantly
striving to achieve concord with Bodhi? Paths of enlightenment are
originally open and widespread; in the absence of intentions all
match naturally.
Written in Chinese and
translated on March 14,
2006
El Cerrito, California
As Seen from
Buddha's Eyes
Yutang
Lin
Human life is short and passes swiftly
One's path in life had better be chosen earlier
If it is known that all in the world become illusive just as eyes
turn
And the taste of Dharma practices had slightly been savored
To know for certain that Dharma is solid
And
in the long run could benefit sentient beings
Then one should renounce worldly considerations and tangles
Whole-heartedly and fully devoted to
Dharma practices and services
of Dharma propagation
All are shaped as causal
conditions dictate
Carelessly meddling, at times warm and at times cold
At most will result in temporary superficial changes
To what extent one is engaged, and to what degree one had
contributed
Only then could correspondent harvests be expected
Karmic causes and consequences
in Samsara recycle endlessly
To escape and transcend fate of a worldly being, 'tis easier said
than done
As to self-liberation and also being capable of granting
emancipation to all
That
is truly more difficult than ascending to heavens
While entangled in worldly engagements, practicing only once in a
long while
Who could believe that such practices will yield fruits of
transcendence
Awake sooner, ordinary efforts
are simply insufficient
Complete dedication is only the first step of genuine Dharma
practices
Having devoted one's prime
years to the enlightening path of Dharma
And still continuously propagate the teachings and pray for all
beings
Even then, one can only sincerely remind you the above once in a
while
As to solid renunciation of worldly engagements to practice
Dharma
It still awaits your own choosing and putting it into action
Because only you are the dictator of your own life
Written in Chinese and translated on January 31,
2009
El Cerrito, California
Clearing the
Mind
Yutang
Lin
The other side of preferences is hindrances.
Barriers or blinds of mind are hard to clear.
Recognize the senselessness of self-torture;
Rely on constant practices to regain clarity.
Comments:
Usually individuals have
preferences, and therefore couldn't help being pulled hither and
thither. All sorts of prejudices and preferences form an
all-encompassing net to snare and torment one inside; thus one
could not even imagine the peace and harmony outside such nets.
Through long-term Dharma practices one would gradually experience a
state of mind that is free from worries. With such an experience as
a point of reference for comparison, one would then find it easier
to escape from previous routines of self-confined torture. In order
to attain ultimate liberation it is necessary for one to be
completely devoted to a life of Dharma practices and services. Only
in the absence of second thoughts could thorough escape from
suffering be realized.
Written in Chinese on November 24,
2002
Translated on November 26,
2002
El Cerrito, California
Practice without
Aiming
Yutang
Lin
In original purity lies Buddhahood, no need to seek for
anything.
To escape from transmigration, one depends on diligent
practice.
Dharma practices and daily life intertwined into one
continuum,
Right at the moment of such practices all aspirations are
absent.
Comment:
Things being originally pure,
free from needs and wants. To attain emancipation, practice
diligently toward attainment of enlightenment. Through long-term
practices without indolence, Dharma fused into daily life. Then, at
the juncture of activities, there is no aspiration or
expectation.
Written in Chinese November 22,
2005
Translated on November 23,
2005
El Cerrito, California
Purification of
Karma
Yutang
Lin
Heavy karmas from the past are difficult to purify.
Viewed in light of Bodhi they could turn into stock.
No longer see them as good or bad, right or wrong.
Buddha sprouts grow out of application of manure.
Comments:
Buddhists often encountered
many hindrances on the path to enlightenment because of their heavy
karmas generated in the past. Especially those heavy clouds
lingering in their minds that are beyond their ability to drive
away, and beyond their strength to clear away through repentance.
Nevertheless, if one could ardently aspire toward Great Bodhi,
wishing to dedicate one's life toward Dharma practices so that all
beings may attain enlightenment sooner, then it would be possible
to purify past karmas quickly. Why is this so? When one who has
developed Great Bodhi reflects over past karmas, such a person will
no longer become trapped in distinctions and comparisons of good or
bad, or right or wrong. Instead, all past karmas will be looked
upon as experiences gained in the process of leading oneself toward
enlightenment. Consequently, all past experiences will become bases
for one's advancement on the path to enlightenment. Thus, past
karmas are turned completely into stocks for Dharma practices, and
thereby thoroughly purified.
The success or failure of this
transformation process rests on whether one's Bodhicitta is
genuine, remains steady and never wavers. May Dharma practitioners
comprehend this teaching, and thereby soon leave behind the
suffering of past karmas!
Written in Chinese on November 6, 2006
Translated on November 28, 2006
El Cerrito, California
Going along with
Impermanence
Yutang
Lin
Dharma teaches
impermanence and nothing could be grasped
And yet Buddhists wish for stability and smooth
wish-fulfilling
As soon as some obstacles or accidents happen, they wonder
why
Grasping to self-interests like this, how could great peace be
attained
Flowing changes and
broken dreams are norms of worldly life
Only minds set on suffering of sentient beings, and their
enlightenment
Can transcend suffering, can find stability amid ocean of
waves
Do not grasp
deluded at an illusive notion of personal security
Go along with impermanence, care not for flowing changes
Only an immovable great mind can universally relieve all
sufferings
Written in Chinese and
translated on October 14, 2007
El Cerrito, California
Causal
Conditions
Yutang
Lin
All present or disappear as
causal conditions meet or disperse
Those carefully planted and nurtured
Gradually grow, mature and yield fruits
Those uninterested to bother with or remain connected
Naturally wither, discontinue and fade away
Behaving according to personal
likes and dislikes
Could bring about decreasing of favorable conditions and
Increasing of adverse hindrances, contrary to one’s
wishes
Learn about causal conditions,
and then choose one’s moves
Only then can one hope to increase favorable conditions wished
for
Or reduce unwelcome adverse situations
Buddhists always act according
to causal conditions
They should also study conditions first and then make wise
choices
Only then can they have more help and less hindrance on the
path
To attain perfect enlightenment sooner
Wishing them well with a prayer
from Bath Pond
Written in Chinese and translated on March 16, 2008
After fire puja to Green Tara
El Cerrito, California
Straightening
Thoughts
Yutang
Lin
Seeing through the ill consequences of self-centeredness,
One thought involving oneself means already bewildered.
With pure mind contemplate often the suffering of beings,
Dedicate merits of Dharma practices equally to save all.
Comments:
Thoughts that involve one's
self are already astray from enlightened awakening. A Dharma
practitioner should often contemplate the various sufferings of
sentient beings, and dedicate the merits of Dharma practices
equally to all beings in order to save them from such
suffering.
Written in Chinese on December 8, 2000
Translated on December 10, 2000
El Cerrito, California
Beyond Facing
Others
Yutang
Lin
Pray to Buddhas
without self-imposed distance
As if facing someone beyond reach;
Original purity has never been confined;
Remain harmonious in Oneness inseparable.
Comment:
While praying, reciting
praises, or saluting to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not become
limited by one's own concept of "facing the other party" to feel
distant from them. One should understand that Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas have already transcended the confine of a "self," and
remain in the Oneness that encompasses all sentient beings. In
order to achieve inspirational communion with such holy beings one
simply needs to expand one's mind to the limitless state of being
constantly mindful of all sentient beings. In daily life one's
speech and activities should also be oriented toward ways that are
beyond antagonism. When opposite attitude is adopted, there will be
entanglements drawing all involved into the maze of endless
suffering. It is not difficult to go beyond a "facing others"
position. Simply refrain from haggling, criticizing and expecting,
and devote all energy toward practicing the Dharma and propagating
the Dharma as an equal-opportunity service to all
beings.
Written in Chinese on March
24, 2000
Translated on March 25, 2000
El Cerrito, California
Unraveling Layers
of Binding
Yutang
Lin
Situation and karma vary with each individual;
Unraveling layers of binding relies on mastery.
Principles and training may follow the Dharma;
Understanding and utilization are up to oneself.
Comments:
Each one lives within
individual situation and karmic conditions. When one aspires toward
liberation from suffering one need to contrive a way out of the
layers of binding that one is in. Buddhist theories and practices
are principles and training on pursuit of ultimate liberation.
Actual application of such teachings is up to individual
comprehension and performance. Therefore, no matter how the
relationships evolved previously there is no need to haggle over
it. Instead the emphasis should be on learning how to escape from
the current situation of being trapped.
Written in Chinese and
translated on September 8, 2001
El Cerrito, California
The Only Important
Matter
Yutang
Lin
Any instant one
could die; what is the thing that matters?
Grasping is meaningless; they should be all swept away.
How much could one do to help benefit sentient beings?
Reveal the path to help them attain transcendence of
self.
Comments:
One could die at any instant;
grasping is meaningless in this light. To be open-minded beyond
life-and-death matters one needs to see through the vanity of
grasping to the notion of a self. The key to Buddhist practices is
to diminish grasping to self; a practitioner should be free from
dualistic mentality among human relationships. The only way to
thoroughly benefit sentient beings is to help them transcend their
self-imposed limitations.
Written in Chinese and
translated on October 23, 2001
El Cerrito, California
Nap
Yutang
Lin
Let mind waive good-bye to tedious trifles of the world
Let breathing be like breezes that gently caress forests and
prairies
Let pulses be like tidal in and out of ocean water at peaceful
beaches
Let all illusive appearances encountered during waking
moments
Return to the reality of being incapable of being grasped
And enter unfathomable and boundless space of light
Written in Chinese on March 9, 2008
Translated on March 10, 2008
El Cerrito, California
Only Because All Beings
Had Been Forgotten
Yutang Lin
Why
Still
saying bad things about someone
Always feeling angry toward
someone
Could not help dripping tears
over someone
Only because all sentient beings had been
forgotten
If still
remembered
How could there be the leisure
to mind about a someone
Why
Still
reluctant and procrastinate
Always worrying about this and
worrying about that
Could
not let go worldly entanglements
Only because all sentient beings had been
forgotten
If still
remembered
How could you not to renounce
at once and devote your life to Dharma
Mindful of affairs of only a
tiny few
Yet salvation of boundless and endless sentient beings had been
forgotten
If this is not upside down, what is it
If this is not ignorant delusion, what is it
If all sentient beings always
remembered
One would not care about
Worldly success or failure,
right or wrong, and personal favors or grudges
One would only care about
Have
sentient beings all been saved or not
Have
you attained full enlightenment or not
Written in Chinese and
translated on April 19, 2009
El Cerrito, California
Dharmadhatu
Mind
Yutang
Lin
One person, so minute
One lifetime, brief as lightning
No matter how diligent
What can be accomplished is too limited
In light of these facts
What can Dharma practices accomplish
To escape from transmigration
How
could beginningless past karmic debts be cleared
Attaining enlightenment and saving all
beings
Certainly sound like babbles of
an ignorant dreamer
Therefore, believing in Buddha
and engaging in Dharma practices
One need to make sure that one comprehends the Dharmadhatu
Mind
Dharmadhatu is originally
boundless and limitless
Dharmadhatu is originally in
oneness
As long as one believes deeply in this without doubts
All Dharma activities are functions of the whole Dharmadhatu
And hence beginningless past karma can be extinguished
Countless sentient beings can be universally helped and saved
Ten Directions and Three Times have neither boundaries nor
barriers
Bodhi aspirations and activities prevail everywhere
forever
To the arising of any limited
mind and view
A Dharma practitioner should know to pity oneself
How could one, for such a trifle, renounce
Buddha's Dharmakaya, Buddha's
compassion and Buddha's wisdom
Written in Chinese and translated on August 26, 2009
El Cerrito, California
Meddling Too
Much
Yutang
Lin
Living in this world
Of course it is inevitable that there are matters to take care
of
Nevertheless, with attention and energy both limited
One could care for only a few matters to certain extent
Not to mention the fact that worldly matters are all so
complicated
Most of them are beyond the meddling of anyone
To meddle into matters that
could not be helped
That is certainly meddling too much
As one meddles
much
One's own attention and energy
are spent as much
While others feel pressures as
well
Meddling into matters beyond help
One
would receive superficial agreement and deviation behind the
back
Indeed it is just a waste of
attention, energy and persuasion
In youth people are full of
energies
They could not realize that
days ahead are not many
Meddling in these and tampering in those
In most cases grand opening ends unnoticeable
As one advances in
age
Gradually becomes aware of
waning of remaining days
And
scarcity of mental and physical strength
Naturally meddles less and less, and avoid as many as
possible
Whoever could awake earlier to
one's own meddling too much
Would be able to allow oneself and others to gain leisure
sooner
For better spending of time on cultivation of enlightened
qualities
Written in Chinese and translated on November 20, 2009
El Cerrito, California
Not to Blame
Others
Yutang
Lin
Easy to find fault with others
Eyes clear and sharp
Even traces are unforgettable
But it is also very easy
To have forgotten that one had made similar mistakes in the
past
One's own shortcomings and
transgressions
Either could not be reflected upon
Or are tolerated, embraced, and forgotten
Drips and bits of others
As long as those seem unsatisfactory to one
Are all unforgettable and unacceptable
Immediately let words pour out of mouth
Without scolding first one
cannot be satisfied
And one rests only after all complaints are out
While the right or wrong on all those
points
Are still hanging in the
air
A Dharma practitioner would not
blame others
For fear of pointing at exactly one's own past transgressions
Would not reveal others' mistakes and shortcomings
Lest one's own mistakes will not be forgiven by anyone
Willingly forgive others' offenses
Taking
those as opportune situations for
practices
Of no grasping and
all-embracing tolerance
The most important reason being
Lest comparison and entanglement would not cease
And one could never attain liberation in enlightenment
Written in Chinese and translated on December 20, 2009
El Cerrito, California
Entangled in
Views
Yutang
Lin
People who often ponder in thoughts tend to be entangled by
views
When prejudices are deep, even wouldn't seek the truth and despite
facts
Such mental knots, unless one is willing to open eyes with even
mind
Could hardly be illuminated or persuaded by others to
dissolve
A Dharma practitioner might
also at times become thus inflicted
Holding up one's views at a certain time
To take detrimental actions and paths
If one sincerely tries to emulate Buddha on the enlightenment
path
One should remember what Buddha said
That even though he preached Dharma for forty-nine years
He indeed did not utter a word
Because Original Purity is beyond what are formed by words and
phrases
Those antagonistic attitudes and all boundaries as set by
conceptual stipulations
Owing to views to fall into
antagonism among people
Simply adding and deepening the trails of self-assertion plus
damaging others
This is only due to lack of clear comprehension that
Genuine realization is attained only after naturally being
thoughts-free had occurred
Instead of applying efforts on the Dharma path to attain being
thoughts-free
One creates karma that would tighten entanglements in views to
hinder oneself
So sad and pitiful indeed!
When compared with those
practitioners who are simple-minded
And firm in faith, and consequently receiving continuously
Tangible blessings and graceful inspirations
How unfortunate are those entangled in partial views!
May they open their wisdom eyes sooner
And readily escape from the entangling net of views!
Written in Chinese and translated on February 23, 2010
El Cerrito, California
Practicing Being
Humble
Yutang Lin
With self in mind
Humbleness inevitably has a bottom line
As situation encountered and feelings arise
Inadvertently there emerges
Behavior of self-righteousness
Practicing Dharma
One needs to exert efforts on "being selfless"
As matters arise and thoughts emerge
Reflect on being "selflessly humble"
In other words
Not to forget how insignificant one is in the Dharmadhatu
And hence capable of being thoroughly humble and free from
insistence
Written in Chinese and translated on May 10, 2010
El Cerrito, California