Although sudden and gradual are different,
Upon completion they are the same.
Why make divisions of North and South?
Sagely and common are parts of the one;
The basic nature is absolutely the same.
Do not discuss east and west.

This was a poem that Dhyana Master Hsuan Hua included in the Diamond Sutra. I found it very interesting so I thought I'd share it with you. What is your take on it? I won't state my right off the bat because Hua already pounded into my brain what he was trying to communicate. I actually just finished reading the Diamond Sutra this morning. I immediately went on to type it all out, minus the commentary so that I could absorb it as it is, though the commentary was very helpful. I posted this poem in a Zen group on Facebook and one of the members said, "It would probably be a bad idea to drive with Hua on the New Jersey Turnpike."

Gassho,
John