Visiting the Monastery of Master Chao at Dawn to Read the Zen Sutras (Liu Zongyuan: Visiting the Monastery of Master Chao at Dawn to Read the Zen Sutras)

Draw water from the well to rinse my mouth, letting my teeth feel cool, then brush the dust from my clothes to purify my heart. In leisure, I take the palm-leaf sutras and go out from the eastern studio to recite them. As for the true essence of the Dharma, I have not comprehended it at all, yet people of the world chase after false appearances. The teachings left by the sages of old—I hope to secretly align with them, but how can the cultivation of the mind easily reach maturity? The abode of the monk is profoundly still; the color of moss extends into the deep bamboo grove. When the sun rises, the mist and dew have not yet dispersed, and the verdant pines seem freshly washed and moist. My heart is calm and serene, hard to express in words; this joy of enlightenment fills my mind with deep contentment.