CHCHCHPO - Zenrin Kushu (excerpts compiled by Toyo Eicho) (1429-1504))

Nothing whatever is hidden
From of old, all is clear as daylight

The old pine-tree speaks divine wisdom
The secret bird manifests eternal truth

There is no place to seek the mind
It is like the footprints of the birds in the sky

Above, not a piece of tile to cover the head
Beneath, not an inch of earth to put one's foot on

Sitting quietly, doing nothing
Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself

The water before, and the water after
Now and forever flowing, follow each other

One word determines the whole world
One sword pacifies heaven and earth

If you do not get it from yourself
Where will you go for it? [wisdom]

If you wish to know the road up the mountain
You must ask the man who goes back and forth on it

Falling mist flies together with the wild ducks
The waters of autumn are of one color with the sky

If you don't believe, just look at September, look at October!
The yellow leaves falling, falling, to fill both mountain and river

The wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection
The water has no mind to receive their image

Scoop up the water and the moon is in your hands
Hold the flowers and your clothes are scented with them

Mountains and rivers, the whole earth, -
All manifest forth the essence of being

The voice of the mountain torrent is from one great tongue
The lines of the hills, are they not the Pure Body of Buddha?

In the vast inane there is no back and front
The path of the bird annihilates East and West

From of old there were not two paths
"Those who have arrived" all walked the same road

Day after day the sun rises in the east
Day after day it sets in the west

Ever onwards to where the waters have an end [the source]
Waiting motionless for when the white clouds shall arise

Wind subsiding, the flowers still fall
Bird crying, the mountain silence deepens

To save life it must be destroyed [illusory ego]
When utterly destroyed, one dwells for the first time in peace

Taking up one blade of grass
Use it as a sixteen-foot golden Buddha

Heat does not wait for the sun, to be hot
Nor wind the moon, to be cool

If you do not kill him [illusory ego]
You will be killed by him

To be conscious of the original mind, the original nature -
Just this is the great disease of Zen! [objectless, subjectless]

Like a sword that cuts, but cannot cut itself
Like an eye that sees, but cannot see itself

Perceiving the sun in the midst of the rain
Ladling out clear water from the depths of the fire

Ride your horse along the edge of a sword
Hide yourself in the middle of the flames

You cannot get it by taking thought
You cannot seek it by not taking thought

It is like a tiger, but with many horns
Like a cow, but it has no tail

Draw water, and you think the mountains are moving
Raise the sail, and you think the cliffs are on the run

The blue hills are of themselves blue hills
The white clouds are of themselves white clouds

In the landscape of spring there is neither high nor low
The flowering branches grow naturally, some long, some short

Alive, I will not receive the Heavenly Halls
Dead, I fear no Hell

He holds the handle of the hoe, but his hands are empty
He rides astride the water-buffalo, but he is walking

Entering the forest he moves not the grass
Entering the water he makes not a ripple

If you meet an enlightened man in the street
Do not greet him with words, nor with silence

Meeting, they laugh and laugh -
The forest grove, the many fallen leaves!

We sleep with both legs outstretched
Free of the true, free of the false

For long years a bird in a cage
Today, flying along with the clouds [trans. R.H. Blyth]