Sariputra,
ultimately every life and phenomena in the universe
has never come into existence,
nor have they ever disappeared.
Nor is there anything
to increase or decrease,
nor to be called pure or impure.
사리자여,
우주 생명과 모습은
본래 생겨났다 없어졌다 함도 없으며
더러운 것도 깨끗한 것도 없으며
늘지도 줄지도 않느니라
I’m slightly cautious interpreting this verse, as I should be!, because there are likely multiple levels of meaning all happening at the same time. But, for me, what this means is that everything is inherently complete as it is. All is connected and flowing as one whole, with nothing that could be cut out and held apart and labeled “this.”
This doesn’t mean there’s nothing for us to do, because we still have to do the work of helping eons of karmic states of consciousness move forward. We still have to make an effort to be positive. We still have to make an effort to behave in helpful and constructive ways. We still have to deepen our experience of this nonduality. To say that everything is nondual, while still stuck in duality and not making an effort, probably wouldn’t end well! And, nearly everything I’ve seen in live leads me to believe that our efforts are never wasted. Sooner or later, we’ll be grateful to ourselves for the efforts we’ve made.
Wake Up and Laugh! 