Helplessness

Having traversed the enemy's rain of bullets,

Yet fell beneath the flowers held by comrades;

Adversity is hard to endure, but favorable circumstances are even more deceptive,

All because shallow merit has never experienced prosperity.

Cultivation is like sailing a boat, merit is like the water that carries the vessel,

Shallow merit cannot bear the boat, causing frequent grounding;

Arrogance towers like mountains, self-view grows dense as forests,

Everywhere filled with greed, hatred, delusion, and pride—this is called the Saha World.

Compassionate as the Buddha, merciful as Bodhisattvas, they long for all beings,

To sever the notion of self and others, to eliminate the view of self and others;

Yet how can beings with shallow merit, deep obstructions, and feeble wisdom be aided?

Guanyin sails an empty boat upon the waters, sighing while returning to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.