INTRODUCTION ✨
In this poetic reflection, Master Woo Myung reveals the futility of human life when lived in ignorance of the true mind. Through the imagery of fog, emptiness, and fields, he shows how people fail to see beyond illusions, endlessly chasing after what is meaningless.
The poem reminds us that the true essence of life does not lie far away but already exists within us. What we perceive outwardly—such as a cow in the field—is only a reflection of what is inside. To live without this awareness is to wander in futility. 🌌
ORIGINAL WRITING BY MASTER WOO MYUNG 🕊️
A Poem from the Mind
When fog densely covers the world,
people are unable to see through it.
That the fog and the emptiness are different
is a meaningless distinction that man makes.
Man is the master of this world,
but he lives not knowing this.
I can only sigh at this pathetic situation.
Experiences are what make life.
In it, I could not see past my dirtied clothes;
my mind was hidden and so I could not know it.
People of the world, listen to my words!
That cow standing far out in the field is not a cow.
That cow is not a cow,
for the cow originally exists within you.
You will not find it if you look far.
When the winds blew,
I would lie in the fields and think about
the things that had happened in my life.
Life is only full of futility,
but I had put so much effort into obeying that futility
because I was human.
I do not blame it or regret it;
I am merely embarrassed of myself
for having searched so senselessly.
– Woo Myung
REFLECT AT SANTA CLARA MEDITATION 🌿
This poem offers a striking reminder: life’s illusions cloud our vision like fog, making us chase what is meaningless. Yet when the false self is discarded, the emptiness and Truth within are revealed. At Santa Clara Meditation, practitioners learn to see past illusions and discover that what they seek outside already exists within themselves.
