For more about the Chinese hermit and poet Hanshan, or Cold Mountain, see this earlier post.

Cold Mountain owns a house
with no partitions inside
six doors open left and right
from the hall he sees blue sky
wherever he looks it’s bare
the east wall greets the west
nothing stands between them
no need for anyone’s care
he makes a small fire when cold comes
cooks plants when hunger arrives
he isn’t like the old farmer
enlarging his fields and sheds
creating nothing but hell-bound karma
once begun it never ends
think this over well
think and discover the key

Translation Red Pine