June 05^th, 2026

Buddha is like empty space,
free of comings and goings.
He manifests in response to conditions
and yet does not abide anywhere.

Thus, the nature of the sage
in the world is that of utter quiescence
and empty non being.
He is free of clinging and contentiousness,
leads, yet never initiates;
responds but only when moved to do so by another.

She is like an echo
sounding in a deep valley
or an image reflecting
in a clear mirror.
Encountering a sage,
you do not know from where they come.
Following a sage,
you do not know where they might go.

Chao lun