Day 3 Isolating Oneself

Always acting alone, walking alone,
Together the enlightened travel the Nirvana road.
The tune is ancient, the spirit pure, the style poised,
The face drawn, the bones hardened; people take no notice.


These four lines describe a practitioner's mind as well as his body. A great practitioner's lifestyle is extraordinarily independent. Each practitioner leads a solitary life and follows his own path to Nirvana. Though there are innumerable paths, every path is the same. Furthermore, each practitioner must walk his path alone. But although a practitioner is alone, he is not lonely. He does not need company. His companion is the Dharma, and his life is the practice. To enter the realm of no-birth and no-death, you must have this kind of attitude.