It is said that green bamboo and yellow flowers are the Buddha speaking the Dharma. But is there anything that is not a manifestation of Buddha Dharma? There is a story of Master Tao-Sheng who spoke to a pile of rocks because nobody attended his lectures. According to the story, when he was finished, the rocks nodded in appreciation. But, in fact, everything is the Dharma body of the Buddha, and the illumined mind simply sees the world as bright and full of vitality.

They testify to each other
Answering each other's questions.
Mutually answering and testifying,
Responding in perfect harmony.


In this conversation between all things, when everything speaks the Dharma, the response is always on the mark. The illuminated mind includes all, and in it, all things are friendly and harmonious, without lack, without excess. It is a perfect conversation-the perfect answer to the perfect question; all without words.

When illumination is without serenity,
Then will distinctions be seen.
Mutually testifying and answering,
Giving rise to disharmony.


When there is illumination without silence, thoughts intrude and distinctions are made. Things lose their quality of being "just this." The dialogue between things is discordant-the wrong answers to the wrong questions.

If within serenity illumination is lost,
All will become wasteful and secondary.


In the previous lines the poet speaks of illumination without silence. Here as earlier, he speaks of silence without illumination. Neither state by itself is complete, neither is the goal of practice.

When Silent Illumination is complete,
The lotus will blossom, the dreamer will awaken.