impermanence

  • Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng

    By Wang Bo (Tang Dynasty) The old prefecture of Yuzhang, now the new seat of Hongzhou.Its stars align with the constellations Yi and Zhen; its land borders Mount Heng and Mount Lu.Girded by the Three Rivers and belted by the Five Lakes, it commands the southern Jing region and links Ou and Yue.Here nature’s…

  • Ode on the Red Cliff (Former)

    By Su Shi (Song Dynasty) In the autumn of the Renxu year, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month, I sailed with my guests beneath the Red Cliff. A gentle breeze blew softly; the river lay calm without a ripple. Raising my cup to toast my companions, I recited poems of the bright…

  • Lamenting the Peony Blossoms [Tang Poems]

    — Bai Juyi I’m saddened by the courtyard peonies brilliant red, At dusk only two of them are left on their bed. I am afraid they can’t survive the morning blast, By lantern light I take a look at the long, long last.

  • Swallows in the Sui Palace [Tang Poems]

    — Li Yi The swallows’ twitter seems to grieve over the old dynasty’s spring; To dust have returned palace flowers on the wing. Since the overthrown dynasty closed its splendid scene, They have come many times but nobody is seen.

  • The Analects – Chapter 9.17

    Confucius stood by a river and said, “What passes away is like this – never ceasing day or night!”

  • Caigentan 124. Nature’s fluid wisdom

    A clear, rainless sky can suddenly change into one dominated by thunder and lightning. A sky full of blustery wind and pelting rain can suddenly change into a scene of charming moonlight.

  • Caigentan 103. The great unbinding

    In this dusty world of illusions, not only are rank and wealth fleeting, but our very bodies are only lent to us for a short time by the universe.

  • Follow the Current

    Fachang, a disciple of the Chan master Mazu Daoyi and a renowned Tang dynasty monk, resided as abbot on Great Plum Mountain (Daimei Shan) in Yuyao, earning him the name “Great Plum Fachang.”

  • The River of Life

    Once, the Buddha was traveling through a forest on a scorching day. Thirsty, he said to his attendant Ānanda: “We crossed a small stream earlier. Return and fetch me water.”