saying
On the Interpenetration of Absolute and Relative
Record of Caoshan
Text
The absolute and the relative are like two mirrors facing each other—within each, the other is perfectly reflected. The absolute is not something remote, hidden behind the world of appearances. It is the very substance of every appearance. And the world of form is not an illusion to be discarded—it is the absolute expressing itself in ten thousand ways. To cling to the absolute and reject the world is to fall into emptiness. To cling to the world and ignore the absolute is to drown in form. The Way of our school is to walk freely between them, neither grasping nor rejecting.
Attribution
By Caoshan Benji
From Record of Caoshan
Sources
Record of Caoshan: On the Interpenetration of Absolute and Relative