Jungbong Seongpa, daejongsa, 

Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

A lamp passed down through the ages, its light never waning, 

It shines brightly without ever being kindled or extinguished,

Amidst rain and wind, left untroubled, 

Its shadow remains clear on the empty window of a leaky house.

The assembly of monks who gathered to mark the end of the three-month winter retreat!

Hold no view that you have entered the retreat; when the retreat ends, hold no view that you are leaving the retreat. If a speck of dust enters the eyes, it looks like false flowers flying and fluttering around.   

Only when the single-minded focus on the hwadu becomes a blazing fire that consumes all demons and myriad Buddhas will the Dharma ancestors' upward path be clearly revealed. With mediocre practice defined by the beginning and end of a retreat, not only do you betray the sponsors’ generosity, but you also cannot escape falling into the hell realm after death.

Brave monastics who joined the three-month winter retreat!

Leaving behind the world's trivial matters and breaking through the Buddha's gate is a task only practitioners of the highest capacity can accomplish. It is like catching a great fish in the deep sea.

When coarse afflictions subside, you will come to know subtle afflictions; when subtle afflictions disperse, your original face will clearly manifest.

A practitioner who clearly realizes and utilizes their original face may be called a Great Saint who has fulfilled their true nature.

Become a practitioner who discovers their original face, achieve ultimate liberation, and help all beings realize their true nature — whether they are wise, foolish, ordinary, or holy. Only then will you finally repay the blessings of the Buddha and the kindness of the donors. 

Heaven gave birth to a six-foot-tall body,

Proficient in martial and literary arts and well-versed in scriptures.

Realizing one's original face in a single day,

One realizes that vain names fill the world.