To Open and Close at Will

Yutang Lin

The gourd of Purity is not tightly sealed,
So inner and outer air may merge at will.
Behaving innocently to achieve salvation,
Degrees of opening depend on situations.

Seals Revised

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Comments:

Yesterday disciple Wang Hao sent me an image file of the two seals, Chun Zhen (Purity) and Shuai Zhen (Behaving Innocently), that he had just carved for offering to me. Today while I was walking to the cemetery to practice Powa there, the reflection arose in my mind that both seals were in completely closed shapes and we need to add openings so that their significances will be more in accordance with the Dharma.

At the top of the Chun Zhen seal on both right and left sides a thin slanting-inward cut should be made to reveal a thin line of opening so that its shape will be a gourd with a top but not tightly sealed. Thus, the purity of original purity expands in and out to everywhere and is not confined by shape to one place. With the top it may be opened and closed at will depending on the circumstances and opportunities so that salvation may be achieved in limitless ways and yet remains free from pollution of worldly entanglements.

At the center of the upper part of the Shuai Zhen seal a thin vertical cut should be made to reveal a thin line of opening. This is to signify that behaving innocently is not limited by boundaries, and may be open and closed at will (in the presence of a crevice lies the possibility of opening or closing). Both seals are not to be opened at the bottom to signify that they are leak-proof (in Buddhism this means that they transcend the worldly sorrows).

Written in Chinese and translated on May 27, 2007
El Cerrito, California

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