A Letter To a Dying Man - Zen

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>From "Zen Bones, Zen Flesh: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen

Writings," -

 

95. A Letter to a Dying Man

 

Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was

about to die:

 

"The essence of your mind is not born, so it will never die. It is

not an existence, which is perishable. It is not an emptiness, which

is a mere void. It has neither color nor form. It enjoys no pleasures

and suffers no pains.

 

I know you are very ill. Like a good Zen student, you are facing that

sickness squarely. You may not know who exactly is suffering, but

question yourself: What is the essence of this mind? Think only of

this. You will need no more. Covet nothing. Your end which is endless

is as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air."

 

 

LoveAlways,

 

Mazie