禅Bankei Yotaku

proverb

Do Not Borrow Anguish

Edo

Traditionally attributed

Text

If anguish does not arise from this moment, do not borrow it from the past. Memory is a useful servant; do not let it become the master of the meditation hall.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

Lineage: Rinzai

By Bankei Yotaku

Sources

  • contentBankei Zen: Translations from the Record of Bankei

    Peter Haskel (trans.)

No per-field confidence has been recorded for this teaching yet. Treat individual claims with the caution appropriate to the source list below.

Attribution status: traditional — see editorial policy for what this means.

1 supporting citation on record (see Sources above).

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