The verse

Hold one rod—envy not the tangled hundred linesWhere the hook rests still, the water clears of its ownSparse the bait, sincere the heart: only then is trustToo many words muddy the quiet that fishing was for

Reading

This slip favors the single rod, the single hook. The more bait you scatter, the muddier the pool; the more you adorn your words, the more the meaning escapes. Pare away the excess, keep only sincerity, and wait in stillness—ask after the truth of your effort, never the size of the catch.

The temple keeper adds

A steady lot. Steady, in a loud age, is already rare.

[ Draw another at the temple ][ Keep a traffic omamori ]