I Shake All the Prayer Wheels, Not for Deliverance, but to Touch Your Fingertips.

I shake all the prayer wheels, not for deliverance, but to touch your fingertips.

This was not written by Tsangyang Gyatso, but I think this phrase best describes him. Recently, I wanted to reread this book. A friend who sells Pu'er tea on Taobao was very confused about whether to listen to his boss or to a friend who had shown him kindness. I told him the story of Tsangyang Gyatso. He had a choice, and the choice wasn't difficult, but Tsangyang Gyatso had no choice; his whole life was spent in this happiness and fear, even deep guilt, of "obtaining the perfect method, not failing the Buddha, not failing the beloved."

I highly recommend reading Tsangyang Gyatso's poems and his story. I'll end this rambling by paraphrasing a few of his lines.

"Read or Not Read"

You read, or you don't read

The book is there

Neither humble nor arrogant

...

Or

Let the book dwell in your heart

Tranquil, cleansing the mind

Warm sunshine, how nice