________________
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.