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One Arrow, Two Illusions
The river winds its way to the sea.
Tomorrow, when it is time for you to depart,
I will ask you to sing aloud
your song of the new season.
The echo of your voice will soothe
and guide me on my way
at least for the some distance.
In fact, I will never depart.
Even if I could, I would arrive nowhere.
The moment I depart, if there is such a thing,
there are moons, clouds, winds, and rivers.
And at the moment of arrival,
there will also be violet bamboos and yellow chrysanthemums
A leaf,
a flower--
that is what you are.
That is why we have been together
since the no-beginning.
There is no way I could not be with you.
Still you don't understand,
and keep asking me about my departure.
This morning, as the moon and stars return
from their deep sleep,
Earth is pretending to weep.
She has shed so many tears.
You, too should weep, my dear.
Your tears will be like crystals. (Weeping makes you beautiful)
Your tears will transform the deserts into green gardens,
refreshing the Earth, ushering in buds of hope.
When we were children, I longed to weep
each time I saw you weeping.
The smile of the Earth,
our mother with green hair,
brings birds and butterflies to leaves and flowers.
We have been born.
Look back at your true mind.
The day when I arose from hidden dimension,
my image was revealed to you
through the five elements.
But that image will soon disappear,
and you will have to look for me
in what has not yet come
and cannot depart.
Looking for me,
looking for yourself,
will be a joy!
You will find yourself in the non-coming and non-going.
With one arrow,
you will bring down two illusions--
finding the non-coming and non-going amidst samsara,
water amidst waves.
My smile this morning
is to bring you the everlasting Spring.
Be the Tathagata
Be one with the smile.
The day when you pierce through illusion,
you will also find that smile.
Nothing remains, and yet nothing will be lost.
This morning the birds and the springs beckon,
"Continue singing, my little flower."
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Oneness
The moment I die,
I will try to come back to you
as quickly as possible.
I promise it will not take long.
Isn't it true
I am already with you,
as I die each moment?
I come back to you in every moment.
Just look,
feel my presence.
If you want to cry,
please cry.
And know
that I will cry with you.
The tears you shed
will heal us both.
Your tears are mine.
The earth I tread this morning
transcends history.
Spring and Winter are both present in the moment.
The young leaf and the dead leaf are really one.
My feet touch deathlessness,
and my feet are yours.
Walk with me now.
Let us enter the dimension of oneness
and see the cherry tree blossom in Winter.
Why should we talk about death?
I don't need to die
to be back with you.
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