Suan Mokkh: The Garden of Liberation

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Turtle Bearing Scriptures

Turtle, may I ask you something?
Your attitude makes me laugh:
Made of stone, eyes blind, punished by karma,
Unaware of the Dhamma on your back.

Human, I’ll drill something into your ears —
we ourselves are the very Dhamma itself.
Your Dhamma is in books, how crazy!
My Dhamma is just me living here as Dhamma.

Stone means being immersed in the coolness of Nibbana
after avijja has been thoroughly disposed.
Blind and deaf signifies the supreme peace erasing karma,
living in voidness constant and forever.

That these texts are not the Dhamma at all,
take a good look, human, don’t go astray.
You may find some Dhamma in them, no big deal!
Read just enough to find the Real Thing.

[translated by Santikaro Bhikkhu]

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Created 10 January 2003 © by Evolution/Liberation