—from The Sutra of Hui-neng,
poems translated by Sol Ta Triane
Shen-hsiu's Poem
Our bodies function as mind-holding frames,
Securing our mind-mirrors: edificial stands
Keep your mind-mirrors clean, ever wiping them down,
So the muck won’t build as it constantly lands
Hui-neng's Responding Poem
Noting originalness, that's all you'll need,
This mirror of mind has no bodily stand
If our pristine divinity is ineffable, beyond structure,
Then where would it be that this filth would land?