Like smelting gold ore,
the gold does not exist as a result of smelting.
Though it regains the original golden [quality],
it is perfected only after [the process of] smelting.
Once it becomes true gold,
it cannot become ore again.
– The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment
(Smelting represents spiritual cultivation.
Gold ore represents our defiled nature.
Gold represents our Buddha-nature.)
Hope that one day somebody who managed to smelt his gold ore into gold will help us do the same.
May we all go after the pure gold within us…and not the gold that we can see in this world.