The Tang Priest Meets Trouble on the Yellow Wind Ridge; Pig Wins Mastery Halfway up the Mountain

The Tang Priest Meets Trouble on the Yellow Wind Ridge Pig Wins Mastery Halfway up the Mountain The Dharma is born in the mind, And in turn is destroyed by the mind. Who do life and death come from? Decide for yourself. If it is all from your own mind, Why do you need others to tell you? All you need to do is work hard, Squeezing blood out of iron. Thread a silken rope through your nose, And fasten yourself to emptiness. Tie it to the tree of non‑action, To prevent it from collapsing. Don't acknowledge bandits as your sons, Or you will forget the Dharma and the mind. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by others−− Smash them first with a punch. When the mind appears it is non‑existent, When the Dharma appears, it ceases. When the boy and the ox both disappear, The blue sky is absolutely clear. All is as round as an autumn moon, And this and that can no longer be distinguished. This gatha refers to how the Patriarch Xuanzang came to awareness and understanding of the Heart Sutra and thus opened the gate. As that venerable elder recited it constantly, a ray of......