F1114_ݼ _Waiting for Maturity

要待事了永無期，道心未熟難斷然；
秋風一起葉紛落，果熟先後掉滿地。

跋

修行道上，初關出離。欲待事了，離俗無期。道心未熟，難以斷然。無以勉強，待彼漸熟。佛慈加被，氣候趨成。秋風落葉，熟果遍地。

二○○五年四月十四日　養和齋　　　　於加州

Wishing to wait for an end to worldly matters, that date will never arrive.
While devotion to Dharma still immature it is hard to make drastic move.
As autumn winds began to blow leaves would fall at every turn in droves.
Fruits, as they turned ripe, would fall one after another and scatter around.

On the path of Dharma practice the first pass is renunciation of worldly engagements. Wishing to wait for a closure of some matters, there will be no date of separation from worldly affairs. While devotion to Dharma is still immature there could hardly be drastic actions taken. Since there is no way to compel fruition, one simply waits for its gradual maturation. Through Buddas' merciful blessings the climate for maturity approaches completion. While autumn winds are blowing leaves off fallen ripe fruits are all over the ground.

Written in Chinese on April 14, 2005
Translated on April 25, 2005
El Cerrito, California