Equal-minded

Yutang Lin

Attaching to personal feelings blocks objectivity;
Vainly entangling adds disorder and commotion.
Paying no regard to strangers out of cautiousness;
Innocence wrongly locked just increases tension.
Interaction among closed ones follow usual ways;
Handled with clarity matters are treated properly.
Encountering people by chance yet with sincerity;
Brief or long-lasting relations will all be peaceful.

Comment:

Once I overheard Buddhist friends chatting, even though they alluded to practices and accumulation of merits several times, their main concern was on gaining wealth, and thought of Dharma practices as matters to be taken care of only after they are free from financial worries. The fundamental teaching of Buddhism is that all are impermanent. How matters would turn out to be, when one will die, and how one would end up to be, all these are beyond anyone control. Buddhist friends who wanted to wait till retirement to concentrate on Dharma practice are either dead or hindered by relationships, environment, sickness or senility from doing any serious practice. If one really understands the teaching on impermanence, one should at least devote some time for a practice session everyday.

Written in Chinese on February 24, 2002
Translated on March 9, 2002
El Cerrito, California

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