He Who Desires to Write a Sutra

He who desires to write a sutra, let him follow the way of the gods,
Who inspire man with poetry and all the artistic faculties;
But he who is freed from desire, or would be free,
Let him become a Bodhisattva with tranquil heart,
And all the sutras in the universe will strive to creep into his body,
Hiding behind his tongue and in his ears and eyes,
Like fairy cohorts slipping into the recesses of flowers.

He who desires to write a sutra, let him cultivate literary taste,
And study all the works of man and muni and deva as of yore;
But he who is freed from desire, or would be free,
Let him become a Bodhisattva dwelling in serenity,
And all the uncultivated styles will seek refuge in his personality,
All the words unspoken and thoughts unthought will seek refuge in him,
Even as the devotee seeks refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

He who desires to write a sutra, let him refine his nature,
And cultivate all the niceties of art and humanity;
But he who is freed from desire, or would be free,
Let him become a Bodhisattva fully emancipated,
And new forms of art will spring from his bosom like the branches of a tree,
And the blessings of Sukhavati will seek to incarnate in his flesh,
Even as the birds seek to nest in the branches of a tree.

He who desires to write a sutra, let him long practice his skill,
And follow the canons of learning until they are mastered;
But he who is freed from desires or would be free,
Let him become a Dhyani-Bodhisattva in supreme meditation,
Whose canons will consist of his breath and his heart-beat,
Who will seek nothing and be sought by all the universe,
Until, like a Buddha, all things animate and inanimate will serve him.