Two Poems by Wu-men

Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.





One instant is eternity;
eternity is the now.
When you see through this one instant,
you see through the one who sees.

—Wumen Huikai (1183-1260), translated by Stephen Mitchell from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, (Harper and Row, 1989)

Wumen Huikai was a Chinese Chan (Zen in Japanese) master most famous as the compiler of and commentator on the 48-koan collection The Gateless Gate.

Muso

A virtuous man when alone loves the quiet 
of the mountains.
A wise man in nature enjoys the purity
of water.
One must not be suspicious of the fool who
takes pleasure in mountains and streams,
But rather measure how well he sharpens 
his spirit by them.

Muso Soseki was a 14th century Japanese Zen master, poet, and calligrapher. Today he is probably best known for developing the art of traditional Japanese Zen gardening.

To pursue his meditative practice he resorted to remote places in nature, but was often summoned back to court where his advice was sought by officials, and even by the emperor himself.

Muso was instrumental in the formation of the Five Mountain System network of Zen temples which became centres of learning and the arts, and had a long-lasting influence on Japanese culture.


In the realm of True Purity, there is no such thing as self or other.

When there is nowhere 
that you have determined
to call your own, 
then no matter where you go
you are always going home.