The Teaching on the "Faith in Mind" by Venerable Jinwoo 

Yanggi boolsung(兩旣不成) 

Ilha yooi(一何有爾) 

Let it be if things go right, let it be if things go wrong

If two are already unattainable, how can one be accomplished?

Things cannot always be accomplished as desired. Even if you don’t want to die, you can’t avoid dying, even if you want to live long, you can’t live long, even if you want to do something, you can’t always do it as you want, so reality is already different from your thoughts. Thus, reality can’t become one with your mind. However, if your mind does not discriminate, there is neither two nor one. Both life and death disappear, and so do phenomena that arise and cease. This is enlightenment and the Middle Way.

As soon as you think, “I should do it this way,” you already have a mental obstacle that says, “But it shouldn’t go that way…” This means that when you have something you want, you also already have something you don’t want. 

As you live, you may feel better or worse depending on what others say. You feel better because it is in accord with what you want, or feel worse because it is not. However, when you feel better, causes and effects arise that correspond to the degree you feel better, and you have causes and effects to make you feel worse because of what someone says. Therefore, you are always caught in the causes and effects of pain and pleasure.

The most important thing is to not be attached to anything at this moment or ever. You should not be attached to what you want or desire. This is because wanting or desiring itself creates the cause and effect of pain and pleasure. You must immediately let go of wanting and drop your desires right away. 

Whatever comes and goes in your world, whatever you gain and lose is all just the result of causes and conditions. Just as the clouds in the sky gather and disperse on their own, and just as clouds are not likely to gather or disperse no matter how hard you will it, inherently there is no such thing as gain or loss. It just takes the form of things that come and go in accordance with causes and conditions. Therefore, it is very foolish and ignorant to be attached to gains or losses. Just leave everything to causes and conditions. In fact, it is better to let go of even the thought of leaving everything to causes and conditions.

If you develop the habit of letting go like this, you will feel extreme peace. No matter what anyone says, you must let go of the emotions that come with it. You must even let go of the thought that “If I don’t take action in advance, things will go wrong.” What does it matter whether things go right or not? If things go right, the causes and effects of this will arise, and you will get the reward of pleasure or the retribution of pain. And if they don’t go right, the causes and effects of this too will arise, and you will also get the reward of pleasure or the retribution of pain.

However, if you don’t cling to anything, whether it goes right or not, your mind will always be at peace. If you let go and let it be whether things go right or not, there will be no discrimination about going right or not, so you will receive neither the reward of pleasure nor the retribution of pain. It would be wise for us to pray, meditate, give alms, and make effort instead of filling our time with worries and concerns.

Gatha (頌) 

If you let go of the mind that says, “I should do it this way,” or “I shouldn’t do it that way,”

and even let go of these two discriminating minds, you will find deep peace here and now.