October 13th, 2015
Su Shih (1073)Look at how our heads and feet
Are capped and shod without a second thought.
It is like the man who had a long beard,
But did not anguish at its length
Until one day someone asked him
How he arranged it when he went to bed.
Then he put it inside then outside the coverlet,
The whole night spent looking for the best position.
So he tossed and turned until the dawn of day,
And in the end wanted only to chop it off!
Although this fable is light and humorous,
Still it contains a much deeper meaning.
When I asked the dharma master about this,
He gave a smile and nodded his assent.