Poem on the Occasion of Thirty Years of Teaching Abroad


Given June 20, 1996
Mountain is mountain, water is water,
Mountain is blue, water is flowing.
East, West, South, North.
Circling around, around and around this globe for thirty years.
Running, running, and running, not resting even for a day,
In order to show correct Way, correct Truth, and correct Life.

This empty world becomes substance world,
Substance world becomes truth world.
Truth world changes into function world.
World after world, life after life, only following the Bodhisattva path.
To attain that, could not even rest one minute, not even one second.

White faces, black faces, yellow faces.
Numberless eyes all become one.
Holding both hands with palms together:
Blue sky, white cloud, universal love and service.
Throughout world after world, life after life, following the Bodhisattva Way.
Kwan Se Um Bosal, Kwan Se Um Bosal. Great Love, Great Compassion, save
those in suffering, in difficulty,
Kwan Se Um Bosal.

What is this?
Don't know!

The heavens collapse, and the ground caves in.
The great universe is split from side to side.
In the midst of true emptiness, without even one thing.
Where do you come from, and where do you go?

What is this?
Only don't know!

KATZ!

The frightened rabbit with horns runs to the South,
the stone snake with wings flies to the North.
The Sunrise at dawn brightens the Eastern sky,
a beautiful white cloud passes towards the West.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Thirty years pass by just like a dream.
Shin Myo Jang Gu Dae Da Ra Ni
with palms together:

How may I help you!