[Buddha-l] Master Sheng Yen passed away

[Dan Lusthaus]

I can perhaps add an alternate translation to Weng-Fai's rendering of Sheng
Yen's death poem (no translation ever does full justice to an original).

无事 (wushi) is a technical term borrowed by Linji (Lin-chi, J. Rinzai) from
Mencius, which he infused with new meaning, something like "having nothing
to do", in Linji's usage signifying someone enlightened who has "done what
needed to be done", as the Pali phrase for enlightenment goes. It also
implies someone who does not act from desire or compulsion (having something
to do), but from a desireless condition. Linji encourages us all to become a
person with nothing to do. Here it is contrasted with 忙 (mang) which means
something like hectic activities. So...

Amid the hectic activities of 'having nothing to do,' grown old.
In emptiness' environs there is weeping and laughter.