Day 1 Leave the Past in the Past

Since an early age I have accumulated knowledge,
Studying the sutras, sastras, and commentaries.
Discriminating between names and forms without rest,
I only troubled myself counting the sands in the sea.


I was severely reproached by the Tathagata:
What is the benefit of counting others' treasures?
I realized the futility of my dalliance;
For many years I busied myself in the world in vain.



At the beginning of this retreat, I told you to take your past, from the moment you were born up to the moment you walked into the meditation hall, roll it into a bundle and toss it in the garbage. If, at the end of seven days, you feel a need to reclaim your past, you can dig it out of the garbage. During this retreat, however, leave it behind.