无
身是菩提树，
心如明镜台，
时时勤拂拭，
勿使惹尘埃
菩提本无树，
明镜亦非台，
本来无一物，
何处惹尘埃
This is a very famous buddhist poem. There may be some inaccuracy as my chinese is very bad, and most of the things I learnt are from oral recitations. The two stranz are from two different monks. The first learned monk who wrote it, basically say that we should regularly cleanse ourselves to maintain our purity of heart (one should lead a virtuous life always), and the second monk (who is illiterate begger-monk) asked a passerby to read it out to him. And then after some thoughts he asked the passerby to write out his reply. "How can there be sins if there is nothing?"
Literal:
身是菩提树，
Just as your body is like the bodi tree,
心如明镜台，
Your soul is a bright standing mirror,
时时勤拂拭，
And by cleaning and polishing regularly,
勿使惹尘埃
will give no cause for any smudges.
菩提本无树，
But there is no tree within the bodi,
明镜亦非台，
Nor the bright mirror is a stand(ing mirror),
本来无一物，
Because there is nothing (at all) since the beginning,
何处惹尘埃
So whereth comes the dirt?
Thoughts:
It is kinda hard to explain, and I think there are multiple interpretations. The first stranz is very obvious, it is the second one that is much much deeper.
1. The moment we realise that everything is actually nothing, we will realise that there is no need to try to always lead a virtuous life, because we will realise we are already leading a pure life.
2. There is no need for us to make ourselves pure and holy by trying to do good because with realisation we will know that for a mirror to remain bright and pure is not by cleaning, but by realising that are no mirror. A good deed is just a deed. Do we need to think over it, to judge if it is good or bad? Helping an old lady, is just helping a old lady, it is just a deed, neither good nor bad. It is nothing, just as there is no it.
3. However, to think that we can do no wrong is arrogance, it is just the realisation that there is nothing. Neither stranz is right or wrong. Both are right and wrong. They are but just different phases of enlightenment. First we should indeed clean and polish ourselves regularly. But once we realise that there is nothing, then we will realise that what we are doing are not actually cleaning nor polishing ourselves, because there are no dirt in the first place.
心如明镜台，
时时勤拂拭，
勿使惹尘埃
菩提本无树，
明镜亦非台，
本来无一物，
何处惹尘埃
This is a very famous buddhist poem. There may be some inaccuracy as my chinese is very bad, and most of the things I learnt are from oral recitations. The two stranz are from two different monks. The first learned monk who wrote it, basically say that we should regularly cleanse ourselves to maintain our purity of heart (one should lead a virtuous life always), and the second monk (who is illiterate begger-monk) asked a passerby to read it out to him. And then after some thoughts he asked the passerby to write out his reply. "How can there be sins if there is nothing?"
Literal:
身是菩提树，
Just as your body is like the bodi tree,
心如明镜台，
Your soul is a bright standing mirror,
时时勤拂拭，
And by cleaning and polishing regularly,
勿使惹尘埃
will give no cause for any smudges.
菩提本无树，
But there is no tree within the bodi,
明镜亦非台，
Nor the bright mirror is a stand(ing mirror),
本来无一物，
Because there is nothing (at all) since the beginning,
何处惹尘埃
So whereth comes the dirt?
Thoughts:
It is kinda hard to explain, and I think there are multiple interpretations. The first stranz is very obvious, it is the second one that is much much deeper.
1. The moment we realise that everything is actually nothing, we will realise that there is no need to try to always lead a virtuous life, because we will realise we are already leading a pure life.
2. There is no need for us to make ourselves pure and holy by trying to do good because with realisation we will know that for a mirror to remain bright and pure is not by cleaning, but by realising that are no mirror. A good deed is just a deed. Do we need to think over it, to judge if it is good or bad? Helping an old lady, is just helping a old lady, it is just a deed, neither good nor bad. It is nothing, just as there is no it.
3. However, to think that we can do no wrong is arrogance, it is just the realisation that there is nothing. Neither stranz is right or wrong. Both are right and wrong. They are but just different phases of enlightenment. First we should indeed clean and polish ourselves regularly. But once we realise that there is nothing, then we will realise that what we are doing are not actually cleaning nor polishing ourselves, because there are no dirt in the first place.