Book Title: Zen Buddhism
Author(s): Christmas Humphereys
Publisher: William Heinemann LTD

Previous | Next

Page 259
________________ 226 Z EN BUDDHISM taken over, and the appetites of a pack of assorted illtrained animals which yelp and growl and bite at each other, and do far ruder things than that, have at least been recognised as such. If they do slip off the new lead sometimes, it is at least with the master's knowledge, if not with his consent. Thereafter the master, if not yet worthy of that title in the vast fraternity of "men made perfect, is at least worthy to tread that Path of occult Wisdom which leads to adeptship. When a man is master of life and death, “there is no more going out”. Such a one might say, though he would not say it, in the words of a famous Japanese set of verses, “I have no parents; I make heaven and earth my parents. I have no means; I make docility my means. I have neither life nor death; I make AUM my life and death. I have no body; I make stoicism my body. I have no limbs; I make promptitude my limbs. I have no design; I make opportunity my design. I have no principle; I make adaptability to all things my principle. I have no friends; I make my mind my friend. I have no enemy; I make incautiousness my enemy. I have no armour; I make good will and righteousness my armour. I have no castle; I make immovable mind my castle. I have no sword. I make the sleep of the mind my sword."1 1 Adapted from the version in MRS. ADAMS BECK's Garden of Vision, P. 331.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278