Who Dares Renounce Human Attachments?

While the ordinary man might
     long for Immortaldom,^[1]
Behind the unbelievable wonders
     lies wrenching sorrow;
It takes cultivating the mind,
     severing desires,
     casting off attachments,
Lest man be lost in his ordeals
     and gripped with deep regret.

August 9, 1988

^[1]“Immortaldom” (shenxian) is a common idea in Chinese culture, somewhat similar to Saintdom in the West, whereby a being is endowed, by virtue of his or her spiritual achievement, with magical, supernatural powers and an enduring bliss8