Old Oak Taiji School (古栎太極學院)

Laozi, Han Dynasty, 4th-century BCE.  Translated by Gu Shen Yu

The valley spirit does not die

It is called the mysterious female

The gate of the mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth

Continuously present

Using it, it is not exhausted

Zen Master Seung Sahn, 20th-century

Your original nature is always shining and clear

Human beings make something and enter the ocean of suffering

But if you don't make anything, you are already complete

The high mountain is always blue; white clouds coming and going

Gu Shen Yu

Settling into stillness

Anything arising is nooo problem

Dooon’t touch it -

It settles of itself

A withered old oak

Cold, dead ashes

Shhh -

The ground is firm

The sky is open

Gu Shen Yu

Utterly empty

Withdrawn

Not looking inside

Not looking outside

Nothing to say

Nothing to do

Resting on the fundamental ground

Gu Shen Yu

The essential message of Daoism is:

Stop struggling

The sun shines freely

Through clear and tranquil waters

Gu Shen Yu

We have coarse

And we have fine

Most people let the coarse whirl about

And thereby lose sight of the fine

The sage gathers in the coarse

He collects it, consolidates it, and sends it downward

Mud settled, the fine reappears of its own

Gu Shen Yu

Emptiness is utterly mysterious

What could I possibly say?

Light and darkness are joined at the root

Gu Shen Yu

Chamber empty

Fire burning hot

Purple smoke rising

Sweet dew seeping

Wild birds riding on the wind

Gu Shen Yu

Blade of grass

Soft, weak

Fresh, rising

Watching the sunrise

Green tiger

Gu Shen Yu

Deepening my root

I conserve the three treasures

The river becomes broad, deep, and full

Stirring on the edge of the ocean

Gu Shen Yu

Cultivate strength -

End up weak

Cultivate weakness -

End up strong

When strength appears -

Only return to weakness

Not using strength -

This is called true strength

Gu Shen Yu

The sound of the temple bell

Opens the gate of mystery

10,000 immortals rush in

Flooding out all sense of self

One yang rises

Gu Shen Yu

I sink lower and lower

Hidden in the shadows

Turned in upon myself

The masses all hop along with joy

Without root, they exhaust their spirit

They may know my name

But they do not know me

In the darkness of midnight

The moon is full, round, and bright

Gu Shen Yu

Relaxing everything into a stable base

A powerful geyser wells up from deep inside

Lifting me beyond my senses

Without excitement, I ride the rising mists

Gu Shen Yu

Ten-thousand teachings

Settle to the bottom of my cup

The tea is ready

Gu Shen Yu

A morning respite after three days of toil

A single verse sums of the entire canon!

Looking up with a smile, I suddenly notice

Clouds reflected clearly on the surface of the lake

Gu Shen Yu

Water flowing downstream

Just following the open channel

Left, right, effortless response

Rocks polish themselves

Gu Shen Yu

The hidden valley

Is wide open

No edge

It completely contains

Heaven and Earth

What to do with these Daoist bones?

Tea in the morning, bed at night

Gratitude to Dao, canon, and teachers

And a commitment to pass it on

Gu Shen Yu

The teapot has grown cold

And the candles have burned out

Pilgrims pass right on by

This lonely mountain temple

Dragon singing in a withered tree

Gu Shen Yu

Leaving the temple behind

I sneak deeper into the mountains

Finding an empty, hollow cave

I disappear into obscurity