禪林寶訓 4.4

4.4

The venerable master Shui'an Yi said: 'The Book of Changes states, "The gentleman reflects upon calamity and takes precautions against it in advance." For this reason, the ancients reflected on the great calamity of saṃsāra and guarded against it with the Way, thereby enabling it to endure through great trials and be transmitted far. People today say that seeking the Way is broad and impractical, not as prompt and pertinent as seeking profit. Consequently, they compete in cultivating superficial vanity and squabbling over trivialities, hoping for immediate outcomes and harboring makeshift expedients. Wherever they go, none are willing to make plans for a whole year, not to mention concerns over saṃsāra! Thus practitioners become more degraded by the day, the monastic grove falls into ruin by the day, and order and discipline decline by the day, leading to deterioration and collapse that can scarcely be remedied. Alas! Can one fail to take warning?' (True Records of Shuanglin)