Forest Dwelling Monk’s Wisdom

The following passage is from an old forest dwelling monk in China. He never signed any of his work and preferred to remain anonymous. This is a rare treasure to find and have access to. Please enjoy and digest all the simple wisdom and blessings that this piece contains.

When life begins we are tender and weak, when life ends we are stiff and rigid. All things, the grass, the trees, the animals, in life they are soft and pliant. In death they are dry and brittle; an army that cannot yield will suffer defeat and a tree that cannot bend will break. So the soft and supple are the companions of life and the stiff and unyeilding are the companions of death. Surrender brings perfection, embrace emptiness and the whole universe is yours.

The sage becomes nothing and gains everything.

Not displaying himself he shines forth, not promoting himself he is distinguished, not claiming reward he gains merit, not seeking glory his glory endures, he does not compete so no-one competes with him.

Such a being rides upon the clouds and enters the sun, passing out of this world with ease and into the Eternal.

Fear nothing, except the failure to experience your true nature.

Speak nothing unless you have lived it first.

The gate of heaven is wide open, without a single obstruction before it.

I sometimes wonder when I will wake up? Wake up to see that there is truly nothing to fear.

I sometimes wonder whether I am a man dreaming that I am a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? What can I do that hasn’t already been done?

The joy is simply in the Being.

Not being this or that.

I like watching the sun in the morning.

And the moon watches over me at night.