A poem on how Mahāyāna[i] develops the viewpoint of the Middle Way.[ii]

世の中はかがみにうつるかげにあれやあるにもあらずなきにもあらず

yo no naka wa kagami ni utsuru kage ni are ya aru ni mo arazu naki ni mo arazu

Is this mundane world A mirror’s reflected Shape, perhaps? Not existing, and Not not existing…

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[i] Mahāyāna (the ‘Great Vehicle’) (Jp.: daijō 大乗) is the largest major tradition of Buddhism.

[ii] The ‘Middle Way’ (Madhyamāpratipada) (Jp.: chūdō 中道) refers to a spiritual practice of Buddhism that steers clear of both extreme asceticism and sensual indulgence.