Zen Essence

Lance Kinseth, Zen Essence, 36”x36

Every day priests minutely examine the Dharma
And endlessly chant complicated sutras.
Before doing that, though, they should learn how to read
The love letters sent by the wind and rain, the snow and moon.

Ikkyu

There is a bright pearl within me,

Buried for a long time under dust.

Today, the dust is gone and the light radiates,

Shining through all the mountains and rivers.

Yueh Ch'a-ling

The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away,

And the weather is clear again.

If your heart is pure, then all things in your world are pure.

Abandon this fleeting world, abandon yourself,

Then the moon and flowers will guide you along the way.

Ryokan