Nothing Extra

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) wrote:

Old pond,

Frog jumps in -

The sound of water

Zen Master Sengai (1750-1837) modified it:

Old pond,

Frog jumps in -

The sound

Maezumi Roshi, my Dharma grandfather, explains that Sengai "is not expressing just one particular sound, but he is manifesting himself as the sound of everything, the form of everything, the color of everything.” 

So it is just the sound - just the splash. Nothing further is needed, no need to identify or label it, the subject object relationship has disappeared. 

Dropping into the pond of equanimity, where there is no separation, no polarization, no us, no them, no subject, no object.  This is nothing other than being one with our life, and what arises moment to moment.