I clean my teeth in water drawn from a cold well;
And while I brush my clothes, I purify my mind;
Then, slowly turning pages in the Tree-Leaf Book,
I recite, along the path to the eastern shelter.
...The world has forgotten the true fountain of this teaching
And people enslave themselves to miracles and fables.
Under the given words I want the essential meaning,
I look for the simplest way to sow and reap my nature.
Here in the quiet of the priest’s templecourtyard,
Mosses add their climbing colour to the thick bamboo;
And now comes the sun, out of mist and fog,
And pines that seem to be new-bathed;
And everything is gone from me, speech goes, and reading,
Leaving the single unison.
Original Poem:
「晨诣超师院读禅经」
柳宗元
汲井漱寒齿， 清心拂尘服，
闲持贝叶书， 步出东斋读。
真源了无取， 忘迹世所逐；
遗言冀可冥， 缮性何由熟？
道人庭宇静， 苔色连深竹；
日出雾露余， 青松如膏沐。
澹然离言说， 悟悦心自足。
Interpretation:
This is a poem that expresses emotion. The poet was relegated to Yongzhou, suffered a political blow, inner bitterness, dissatisfaction with the officialdom of running and tilting, so he wanted to seek spiritual relief and comfort from the Buddhism’s purity of mind and leisure. Buddhism was prevalent in the Tang Dynasty, and the poet socialized with monks and studied Buddhism. Therefore, it was consistent with the social etiquette of the time for the poet to go to the Chao Shi Yuan in the morning to read the Zen scriptures – the books of the Zen sect of Buddhism – and to comprehend its principle of purifying the mind and clarifying the thoughts.
With a pious heart to read the Zen scriptures, first use the well water to rinse the mouth and teeth, and then brush off the dust on the clothes, so that the internal clear state of mind of the ordinary thoughts, outside the dirt and dust, inside and outside the clean, and then quietly holding the Bayeux Sutra, stepped out of the East Lent to read seriously, the poet recited the show of the state of the display of the poet is not missing.
Next, he writes about his thoughts while reading the Zen sutra. He said that some truths in Buddhism are the same as those in Confucianism, but it is a pity that the world does not understand this point and takes nothing from it, but pursues and enjoys some of the superstitious and absurd things in it. The Buddhist scriptures say (last words) that people practicing can obtain hope and happiness in the netherworld, but with my truth-seeking and pragmatic nature, how can I cultivate to such a sophisticated point?
Next, I write about the tranquility of the Zen garden. Inside the courtyard, the green moss is connected to the luxuriant bamboo. Once the sun comes out, the morning dew and mist lingers, and the pines are moisturized by the mist and dew, as if they have been combed and washed. This is how quiet realm. The last two lines are the fourth layer, ending the poem. “Tantalizingly away from words, the enlightened and happy mind is self-sufficient.” In this tranquil environment, I have become tranquil and light-hearted, and although I cannot familiarize myself with the Zen sutras, I have learned the true meaning of life from the scenery in front of me.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Liu Zongyuan (柳宗元), 773-819 A.D., a native of Yongji, Shanxi, was a progressive thinker, brilliant writer, and revolutionary statesman of the Tang Dynasty. Nineteen years before he was born, the An Shi Rebellion broke out, which dramatically changed the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline. The subsequent failure of the Yongzhen Reform was a historical tragedy that cut short Liu Zongyuan’s political future, but made him one of the leading thinkers and literary figures of the Tang Dynasty.
