Wake Up and Laugh!

“No beginning” sounds like it could mean, “no way to start it,” but what it really means is it’s always here. There’s no separate starting point existing someone where else. Right here, right where you are, everything is unfolding. You are in the midst of your path.

I take refuge in one mind,
it guides all life to the bright path,
which is neither longer nor shorter,
sooner nor later.

끊임없는 생명들의 줄어듦도 늘어남도 본래 없는
밝은 길을 인도하는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

I take refuge in one mind,
endlessly giving light to all.

끊임없이 만물만생 항상 비춰 주시옵는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

I take refuge in one mind,
with a single thought
transcending time and space,
it nurtures all.

시공 없는 한생각에 일체를 다 거두시는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

I take refuge in one mind,
which completely looks after all beings
throughout the world and universe.

우주 세상 일체 생명 자재로이 보살피는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

How’s everyone doing? Sitting tight and not too bored, I hope. May everything you need to survive and get through this winter fill your life.
with palms together,
Chong Go

I take refuge in one mind,
with all-embracing harmony
it saves all beings, everywhere.

둥그런 큰 마음을 내시어서 두루두루 건지시는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

The Korean used here for “just as it is” is one of my least favorite expressions to translate. It can also mean “suchness” or “thusness.” Which, in English, don’t convey much feeling or meaning. For me, the nuance here is of not needing anything added. Of being perfectly whole just as it is.

I take refuge in one mind,
remaining just as it is
it ceaselessly takes care of all things.

끊임없이 보살피며 여여하신 한마음에 귀의하리다.

I take refuge in one mind,
with a thousand hands
it ceaselessly takes care of all things.

끊임없이 천수로써 보살피는 한마음에 귀의하리다.

Remember to try to recite these a few times a day! When you wake up and when you go to sleep are ideal, but, really, whenever you have time or think of them is fine too.

I take refuge in Buddha and one mind,
which encompasses the endless universe
and all things with life and without.

끝이 없는 대천세상 유생 무생 부처님과 한마음에 귀의하리다.

Through one mind I take refuge in Buddha,
who watches over and takes care of
all material and nonmaterial realms.

유무세상 관하시어 보살피며 건지시는 부처님께 한마음으로 귀의하리라.

This is an interesting verse! Instead of saying “such and such will save me,” it’s a request that we be able to learn what we need to know to help ourself. In this case, it’s the truth of nonduality. If I want to be free from anger, desire, greed, jealousy, then I need to learn the truth of nonduality. That’s it. Just learn the truth of nonduality.

When we see other’s success as our own, when we feel their pain as our own, when we see the negative things they’re doing, and feel the suffering that’s going to cause for themselves and others, all of our hate, resentment, jealousy, and so on, just vanish. They just disappear as if they were a vague rumor from a hundred years ago. But we still have to do that one thing -Learn the truth of nonduality. And we can do that by practicing returning everything to our foundation.

Should the mind of an animal arise within me,
let me learn the truth of nonduality
through the deep wisdom of one mind.

만약에 축생의 마음 일으킨다면 스스로 큰 지혜로 둘 아닌 도리를 알게 하소서.