In front of the Patriarch’s room
The road is smooth

A thousand years pass in vain
Moss grows

Bright moon
Shines like snow

The Second Patriarch
His arm severed
Still hasn’t arrived.

From

A Quiet Room:
The Poetry of
Zen Master Jakushitsu

by Arthur Braverman

Zen poetry

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Click here for a few more poems by Jakushitsu Genkō.

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Tags: Buddhist blog, Jakushitsu Genkō, Photo by @KyotoDailyPhoto, Second Patriarch, Zen Buddhism, Zen Master Jakushitsu, Zen Poetry