Refusing To Bite – Second Part Of Ryokan’s poem

Walking_meditation_path.jpg
Walking meditation path.
Here is the second part of the poem by Master Ryokan. He was pondering the ‘first cause’ and reports that the workings of my mind go dead. Now he asks others what their response is….

I took these words to the old woman in the house to the east;
the old woman in the house to the east was not pleased.
I questioned the old man in the house to the west;
the old man in the house to the west puckered his brow and walked away.
I tried writing the question on a biscuit, fed it to the dogs,
but even the dogs refused to bite….

Master Ryokan

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