[updated September 2022]
Send This to Zen Buddhist Master Tao Guan
寄 韬 光 禅 师
一 山 门 作 两 山 门
两 寺 原 从 一 寺 分。
东 涧 水 流 西 涧 水
南 山 云 起 北 山 云。
前 台 花 发 后 台 见
上 界 钟 声 下 界 闻。
遥 想 吾 师 行 道 处
天 香 挂 子 落 纷 纷。
Ji Tao Guan Chan Shi
Yi shan men zuo liang shan men
Liang si yuan cong yi si fen.
Dong jian shui liu xi jian shui
Nan shan yun qi bei shan yun.
Qian tai hua fa hou tai jian
Shang jie zhong sheng xia jie wen.
Yao xiang wu shi xing dao chu
Tian xiang gua zi luo fen fen.
Send This to Zen Buddhist Master Tao Guan
One mountain gate gives way to two temple gates
Originally these two temples separated from just one temple.
River flows through eastern canyons to meet again with those from western canyons
Clouds from southern mountains connect to those arising from northern mountains.
Flowers behind one terrace develop the same as flowers in front of another terrace
Temple bell sounds heard above the mountains as well as down here below the mountains.
Travel on roads far away, still think of my teacher Tao Guan
One after another, incense fragrances rise into the sky, while the strings of ashes fall down.
Commentary:
Having visited this area of Hangzhou, China several times I personally appreciate the magic of this place. The temple is the Lingyin Temple outside the city of Hangzhou. Built in the fourth century, it was saved from the Red Guard in the early years of the Cultural Revolution by Zhou Enlai. He turned the whole large temple complex and area into an army barracks to preserve the buildings and relics.
A small stream flows out of the bamboo forest ravine, where tea aficionados collect their water for making the best tea in the world. Hiking up the trail into the bamboo forest, one initially encounters the first of the Tao Guan shrines. There are others. Tao Guan and Bai Juyi were good friends.