Offering Incense

Early morning meditation,
Lighting an incense coil,
Immediately,
Releasing an elegant curl of smoke,
Indistinct time and space.
Words pour forth from the heart,
Devoutly well up.
Fragrant petals of the heart,
A sincere and pious offering.
Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protectors and all living beings.
Buddha is the self nature,
Bodhisattvas are the self nature
All living beings are the self nature,
An endless offering.
Space is limited
But this offering is boundless without end.

Tea Ch’an

With the first rays of the morning sun,

It’s time to drink tea.

Fresh tips of tea,

Purple red pot,

Blue cup,

Water.

The physical body of flesh,

And the immortal, unchanging nature of wisdom.

It’s time to play ‘Tea Ch’an.’

Peaceful and calm,

Empty and silent.

With it’s own natural order,

It seems there is tea and yet no tea.

It seems there is mind and yet no mind.

As though space and time have gone away.

Space and time are an illusion constructed by the mind,

As it created the strife of samsara.

Purity love and hate,

Eliminate this mind,

Transcend space and time,

No people and no self,

Leave only true love for humanity. 

--MASTER HUI RE

It's possible

Is it possible that humanity never again kill, steal, rape and lie?

Can humanity never again fight for political causes?

Is it possible that humanity never again makes weapons and kills one another in war?

Is it possible that humanity never again mistreats and kills animals?

Can humanity never again pollute the rivers and oceans?

Can humanity never again fell the forests and destroy the environment?

Can humanity never again fall into materialistic thinking?

… Can humanity never again…

It is impossible for humanity.
I see human kind is insignificant and powerless.
But although this is so,
Humanity still has hope,
Because the original nature of human kind is pure.

As long as we abide in peace
And let our hearts be at peace,
Love will arise,
To transform the human race,
Slowly returning it to its bright original nature.

And then,
Everything will become possible. 

--MASTER HUI RE

Wounded Heart

A wounded heart
Fragile
Crying the whole day through.
Eyes black from weeping
Eyes red from tears
Heart full of sorrow.
My heart full of sorrow,
Buddha’s heart full of sorrow,
World’s heart full of sorrow.

Boundless pity
Because he has been our
Brother and sister for many lives and ages
Foolish people, concealing your wisdom from yourselves
I beseech you please,
I beseech you: Please
Stop harming, hurting others
Stop harming others.
How can you not know,
That hurting others
Is hurting yourself?

Master Hui Re

Night Sitting

On inhaling, intent and fine.
On exhaling, clear and aware.
Slowly, slowly.
Limbs relaxed,
Consciousness open and empty,
The sign less mind naturally appears.
Then:
Seeing the wondrous mind and nature
Gradually, gradually,
Mind not knowing it is mind,
Nature not knowing it is nature,
Only the silent witnessing of no self
Just meditate, seeing in the stillness.

-MASTER HUI RE

Morning Siting

Sit at peace.
Body straight.
Still the spirit.
Leave behind all the ways of thought.
Peacefully watch the in breath,
The out breath.
Feeling warm,
Breath needs body, relies on body,
Inhale,
A clear cool touch.
Breath needs mind, relies on mind,
Body and mind in breath,
Universe in breath,
Natural rhythm,
Mind and breath interrelated.
In an instant:
Body knows not body.
Breath knows not breath.
Mind knows not mind.
Only awareness.
Just meditating.
Just like this.
A thousand million eons pass in a flash
Without beginning without end.

Self Nature

Self Nature is me
I am the world the universe
Every blade of grass and tree in the world
Is my own manifestation
And the Buddha’s, God’s
Every saints’ true manifestation
The Buddhist Avatamsaka Sutra says:
Knowing all phenomena,
Is the Self Nature of the Mind,
Accomplishing the Wisdom Body,
Realizing by oneself.
The path is in the heart
And in the bricks and mortar too.

Wilderness - love for Africa

Broad level plains of wild grass land
The beautiful scene of a winters day
With ivory trees and rocks
As embellishments tossed about
With an old thatched shack
A stack of firewood all ablaze
Surrounded by rocks
Topped by an old steel mesh
And big cans and metal buckets
Water boiling, stew a bubbling
Three or five serene black faced
White toothed construction workers
Sitting around
Saintly eyed
A friend’s simple smile
So relaxed and free
With nothing to do
Just awaiting the stew
Add a few greens and a little corn
Completing the days delicious fare
The ancient way of eating
Like a thousand years before
Longing for this simple, unadorned life
I said to myself:
I love Africa’s wild grass lands
I love the Africans’ innocent smile
I love simple, ancient ways
Because:
I am them
And they I.

Spring Heart

Spring is in the heart,
It’s not a season.
Because of love,
Spring is everywhere, dancing in the tips of the trees,
Always there between you and me,
Always there in time of need.
Time moves and changes,
But spring is eternally here in the world of humankind.
When one knows the truth,
Entering into the path,
The heart lets go, there is nothing to do,
Never again desirous, attached or seeking.
Then,
One lives forever in spring,
The spring heart flowing with birth and death,
Never to be parted again.

Book now for the Land of Bliss

In my last life I made an appointment to be born in this Saha world.
So here I am, fulfilling my vows in this life.
Now I’m making an appointment to be born in the Pureland,
In the Land of Lotuses,
when this life ends.

I am not weary of this tainted Saha world,
but of the endlessly revolving cycle of life and death.
I joyously seek not the pure and blissful land,
but the ultimate love and wisdom Mito Rulai will give to me

My love is constant in this Saha world.
My care for all beings – all my mothers – is constantly in my heart
To attain the pure diamond body,
I will help all sentient beings
for numberless kalpas.
Practicing thus I make my appointment
for the Pure Land of ultimate bliss.

Written by Master Hui Re 慧日法師
Translated by Alice Chan
Edited by Ben Le and Maxine Fine

Spring heart

Spring is not a season:
It is the heart of Mito (Amitofo / Amitabha)
Impelled by boundless love
Spring heart dances gracefully in the treetops
Wonderfully binding us
Giving us warmth in icy winter.
The succession of time is like the changing seasons.
The human world is also ruled by it’s own seasons.
Understanding this,
we understand the true appearance
of ten thousand experiences
and ten thousand thoughts:
the truth of our original nature.
Experiencing the Great Compassionate Vows

of Mito to save sentient beings,
We naturally let go of all mental activity, all worry, anxiety and difficulty
No longer desiring to play the game of attachment and love,
running around seeking, wanting.
Forever in the land of Spring Heart.
Bathing in the Buddha's light.
Together, at one with the Buddha.
Forever inseparable.

Translated by Ben Le

After Mr Huang's retreat...

Africa called

You heard and came

You fell in love with Africa

You stroked her rough grass

Planted African trees

In her dry earth

Wept at her confusion an anger

You gave Africa your heart and found

Amitabha

Africa did not expect you

Made no preparation

Did not show her

company face

sneered, ignored you

even beat you

Them as you rose to leave

Suddenly

Africa fell in love

with you

Our Amitabha

Don’t go….

- Master Hui Re