Feelings Run Wild and Nature Gets Loose Because of Desire; In Confusion of Spirit the Heart Is Disturbed and the Demon Encountered

Feelings Run Wild and Nature Gets Loose Because of Desire In Confusion of Spirit the Heart Is Disturbed and the Demon Encountered The poem goes: The heart must be frequently swept, The dust of emotions removed, Lest the Buddha be trapped in the pit. Only when the essence is pure Can the origin then be discussed. Trim the candle of nature, Breathe in the way that Master Caoxi taught, Control the ape and horse of the mind. Only when breath is calm by day and night Can one achieve the true adept's skill. This poem is set to the tune Nan Ke Zi and it tells how the Tang Priest escaped disaster under the ice of the River of Heaven and crossed to the other bank on the shell of the white turtle. As the four pilgrims headed West it was now the depths of winter, but the mists in the forests were still light, and the bony shapes of the mountains could be seen rising in their purity above the waters. As master and disciples carried on along their way, they were obstructed by a big mountain. The road was rocky, and they and the horse found the going rough. Sanzang reined the......