Zen Poem: Song to Awaken the World

by Luodian, Ming Dynasty Scholar (who became a monk)
(Transl. from Chinese original)

With zeal and toil you seek in haste,

Warm and cold, spring fades into fall.

Work for a living day and night,

Blind and clueless we’ve turned grey.

Who’s right or wrong—can it ever end?

When will worries ever cease?

The Path ahead is clear and straight,

Yet few are those who’ll cultivate.