佛言 夫為道者 譬如牛負重 行深泥中 疲極不敢左右顧 得離泥塗 乃可蘇息 沙門當觀情欲 甚於淤泥 直心念道 可免衆苦
fó yán fū wèi dào zhě pì rú niú fù zhòng xíng shēn ní zhōng pí jí bù gǎn zuǒ yòu gù dé lí ní tú nǎi kě sū xī shā mén dāng guān qíng yù shèn yú yū ní zhí xīn niàn dào kě miǎn zhòng kǔ
Key Message
Emotional desire is deeper than mud. Only a straightforward mind, single-pointedly directed toward the Way, can free one from all suffering.
▸The Way-practitioner is like an ox bearing a heavy load, walking through deep mud.
The Way-practitioner is like an ox bearing a heavy load, walking through deep mud. Exhausted to the limit, it dare not look left or right, and only when it escapes the mud can it finally rest. Monks should observe that emotional desire is deeper and more treacherous than mud; with a straightforward mind (直心) fixed on the Way, one can be freed from all suffering. The image captures the total, single-pointed focus required to escape the grip of desire.