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Dream
of Leaf Lake (Preface)
•Guru's
Talk•
(By
Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, Sheng-Yen Lu)
(Translated by Haiyan Shen.
Edited by TBN)
(Preface from Book 160, Dream
of Leaf Lake)
I began to compose poems over
forty years ago. I also edited a small poetry magazine called
Rivers and Streams. I had a collection of my poems published,
entitled "Collection of Light Smoke." My writing won
me the "prize for new poetry"-the gold picture prize
of national military art.
In my youth, I was highly thought
of as a young writer for my creation of poetry, prose, and
novels. I myself cannot even count how many newspapers and
magazines I submitted my works to. I never stopped writing
even after I devoted myself to Buddhist cultivation. For this
reason, someone claims that I am number one in the field of
writing books and expounding the dharma.
In the past, I dreamed of
becoming a poet. What about now? To tell you the truth, now I
am living a hermit life, truly apart from the multitudes, and
I have truly bid farewell to my disciples. I do not have any
plans to go anywhere, and I am free from thoughts of good or
evil. At this particular moment, my heart and mind are
purified, without any desire for worldly affairs, any favors
from anyone, and any attachment to anything. Only at such a
moment as this, I feel as if I have spontaneously become a
poet.
In my retreat hut, my inspiration
for composing poems springs forth, and inexhaustible poetic
lines remarkably flow out.
With such an urge for writing
poetry, I told myself: It's better to put it into action!
Thus, upon the publication of my previous collection of poems,
entitled "Moon in Water," I have written this book,
called "Dream of Leaf Lake."
Leaf Lake is the name I use for
the lake located next to my retreat hut, because the shape of
the lake resembles that of a leaf. Leaf Lake accompanies me
through my days and nights.
When the rooster calls, the
straw hut is still bathed in the bright moonlight,
And the guest there is sound
asleep in his dream.
He wakes up at daybreak,
Facing Leaf Lake, he fully
expresses his feelings in his writing.
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