VERSE(verse旋转)

　　Picture one

　　Searching for the Ox

　　寻牛

　　Preface:

　　Till now, the ox has never been lost. Why the do you need to search for it? Turning away from your own awakening, you became estranged from it; then enclosed by dust, in the end you lost it. The hills of home redede farther and farther away;you`re lost as soon as the paths divide. Winning and losing ocnsume you like flames. Right and wrong rise round you like blades.

　　Verse:

　　Beating about the endless wildgrass, you seek and search,

　　The rivers broaden, the mountains, stretch on and the trails go ever deeper.

　　Your strength exhausted and spirit wearied, no place allows you refuge.

　　The only sound-evening cicadas shrill in the maples.

　　Waka:

　　Searching

　　The deep hills

　　No sight of the ox.

　　Just the empty

　　Shrilling of the cicadas.

　　Picture Two

　　Seeing the Traces

　　见迹

　　Preface:

　　With the aid of the sutras, you gain understanding; through study of the teachings, you find traces. You see clearly the many vessels are all one metal. and the ten thousand things are all yourself. But if you do not distinguish corrcet from incorrect, how will you recognize true from false? Since you have yet to pass through that gate, only tentatively have you seen the traces.

　　Verse:

　　By the water and under the trees, tracks thick and fast.

　　In the sweet grasses thick with growth, did you see it or did you not?

　　But even in the depths of the deepest mountains,

　　How could it hide from others, its snout turned to the sky?

　　Waka:

　　Determination deep

　　In the mountains

　　Your efforts bear fruit

　　Tracks

　　How gratifying to seea sign.

　　Picture Three

　　Seeing the Ox

　　见牛

　　Preface:

　　Through sound, you gain entryby sight, you face your source. The six senses are none different; in each daily deed, plainly there.

　　Like salt in water, or glue in paint. Raise your eyebrows -it is nothing other.

　　Verse:

　　In the trees nightingales sing and sing again.

　　Sun warms the soft wind, green willows line the bank.

　　Here, there`s nowhere left for it to hide.

　　Its majestic head and horns no artist could draw.

　　Waka:

　　In spring sun in the green willow strands

　　See its timeless form.

　　Picture Four

　　Catching the Ox

　　得牛

　　Preface:

　　Today you`ve chanced upon it, so long hidden in the wilds, But you can`t keep up with its high spirit, and it won`t give up its love of sweet grass. Even more willful, as wild as everm if you want to tame it, you must lay on the whip.

　　Verse:

　　With your last ounce of strength, you take it,

　　But stubborn and strong, it won`t be broken,

　　Now it suddenly climbs to high ground,

　　Then it descends to vanish deep into mist.

　　Waka:

　　Thinking only `Ox! Ox! Don`t let go!"

　　Just this is the real fetter.

　　Picture Five

　　Taming the Ox

　　牧牛

　　Preface:

　　Once one little thought arises, another follows, Adhere to awakening and all becomes truth; reside in ignorance and all is unreal. This happends not because of the world, but only because of your mind, keep a firm grip on that rope and do not waver.

　　Verse:

　　Not for a monet put down whip or rein.

　　lest the ox wander back to dust and desire.

　　Pull again and again, till it`s tame and gentle.

　　of itself, it will follow without bridle or chain.

　　Waka:

　　Days pass, even the wild ox comes to hand,

　　And becomes a shadow to my body,

　　How gratifying!

　　Picture Six

　　Riding Home on the OX

　　骑牛归家

　　Perface:

　　Shields and spears are gone; winning and losing are nothing again

　　You sing woodsmen`s village songs and play childen`s country tunes.

　　Stretched out on back of your ox, you gaze at the sky.

　　We call you but you won`t turn around, catch at you but you won`t be tied down.

　　Verse:

　　Riding high on your ox, leisurely you head for home,

　　Trilling on a nomad`s flute, you leave in the evening mist.

　　In each beat and verse, your boundless feeling

　　To a close companion, what need to move your lips?

　　Waka:

　　Lowing at mind

　　limpid and soaring sky

　　White clouds are coming back to the peaks.

　　Picture Seven

　　The Ox Forgotten, The Self Remains

　　忘牛存人

　　Preface:

　　The Dharma is not dual, the ox just points to our subject.

　　As rabbit and snare differ in name, so fish and net are not the same.

　　As gold comes forth from dross, so the moon emerges from clouds,

　　A shaft of its icy light, ancient even in the age of Ion.

　　Verse:

　　Astride your ox, you`ve reached the hills of home,

　　With ox put away, you toom are at ease,

　　The sun`s risen three poles high, yet still you`re dreaming.

　　Your whip and line hang idle under the thatched eaves.

　　Waka:

　　Hard to take

　　People who fret over good and bad.

　　Knowing nothing of Naniwa reeds.

　　Picture Eight

　　Forget Both Self and Ox

　　人牛俱忘

　　Preface:

　　Shedding worldly feelings, erasing holy thoughts,

　　You do not linger where the Buddha is,

　　You dash right past where the buddha is not.

　　Don`t cling to duality, or the thousand-eyed one will soon find you.

　　If birds were to bring you flowers, what a disgraceful scene.

　　Verse:

　　Whip and line and you and the ox, all gone to emptiness,

　　Into a blue sky for words too vast,

　　Can a snowflake survive the fire of a flamepit?

　　Attain this, truly be one with the masters of the past.

　　Waka:

　　No clouds, or moon, or cassia tree,

　　Swept clean,

　　Lost in the sky.

　　Picture Nine

　　Return to the Origin, Back to the Source

　　返本还源

　　Preface:

　　Originally immaculate, without a speck of dust, Watching appearances come and go, you reside in the serenity of non-doing, But this is not the same as illustion, so why cling to it? The rivers are blue, the mountains green, Sit and watch them rise and pass away.

　　Verse:

　　You returned to the origin, went back to the source-such wasted effort.

　　How much better to just be blind and deaf?

　　From inside your hut, you don`t see outside your hut,

　　Let the streams just flow on , the flowers just bloom red.

　　Waka:

　　The Dharma way-no traces -on the original mountain,

The pines are green , the flowers glint with dew.

　　Picture Ten

　　Entering the Marketplace with Extended Hands

　　入鄽垂手

　　Preface:

　　Alone behind a brushwood door, not even a thousand sages are aware, Hiding your light, you shun the tracks of sages of the past, Dangling your gourd, you come into town; thumping your staff, you return to your hut. Visiting bars and fish stalls, you turn all into buddhas.

　　Verse:

　　With bare chest and feet, you come to the market.

　　under dirt and ash, your face breaks into a laugh.

　　With no display of magic powers,

　　You make withered trees burst into flower.

　　Waka:

　　Hands extended, feet planted in the sky-

　　Otokoyama

　　On a withered branch perches a bird.

　　庐山烟雨浙江潮 不到千般恨未消

　　到得归来无别事 庐山烟雨渐江潮

恭敬经典 南无阿弥陀佛 合十