Master Woo Myung Poem – Memories

Every person has memories.
Memories are what one remembers of the past.
Past memories become the roots of one’s mind,
and they form the present,
which is lived with this karma.
Karma is a form of past memories,
and their roots are deep.

One’s present life is lived
with the karma from his previous lives.
So in a way, his present life is his past lives.
How one lives now – his destiny –
is decided by his memories.
Past events are meaningless,
as are all things of the present,
so one should not continue to dwell on
the memories of a meaningless life.

There is one great thing in life –
it is setting all your memories ablaze.
Setting alight your memories means
setting your karma aflame,
freeing you from the sufferings of your burdens
for eternity, even after your death.

When you have karma,
you receive the judgment of this karma.
Human life is lived with karma that are memories,
so a person without minds reaches heaven.
That one is poor in spirit, that he has no minds,
means he does not have memories.
Being without memories
means one does not have any greed in his mind.

-Woo Myung-

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