Universal Light

The universe has a shining light
That exists right now.
You would be blinded by the light
If you truly saw it.

The Only Place

To be liberated
Turn to the universe.
Open your eyes.
Can't you see?
It's the only place
For your huge self.

Clear

There's a mist to clear
Then the moon can shine
The truth is also clear
It always has been
Perfect and clear
Some can see
Others are blind

Hail

The fire rages
The flames leap high
The wood's consumed
The ash cools
From the debris
Arises the new
Majestic new birth
Hail the cycle

Illusions

Dancing illusions
Merry thoughts
How I wish for.
Dark shadows
Weary conclusions
And then I wake.

Inquisitive Child

Lucy was an in inquisitive child. She liked to watch the shopkeepers open their shops each morning and close them each evening. She watched the butcher cut his meat up and place it in the cases. She watched the jeweler set the fine jewelry out each day. She visited the dress shops and the linen shop and the hosiery shop. She knew everyone's name and spoke to each of the adults she met each and every day.

One day, she did not show up for her visits. She was not there when the shops opened in the morning and she was not there when they closed at the end of the day. She did not go see the jeweler set out his jewelry and she failed to watch the butcher as he cut up all of his meat and set it in his cases. She failed to visit the linen shop and she never appeared at the hosiery shop or at any of the other shops she normally stopped at each and every day. She spoke to none of the adults she would have spoke to each day. No one noticed.

Rolling Downhill

At first just a pebble, rolling along the ground. Then as it picks up speed, and the slope of the land gradually turns downward, bits of moss and dirt begin to cling to it. Soon it enlarges. The ground continues to slope downhill, the gradient more severe, the speed of the roll becoming faster with the decline. The pebble now has become the size of a large rock and still it rolls ever onward. Once it started downhill, nothing was going to stop it short of a large barrier. The rock has become a boulder, racing down the slope crushing all in its path. Grass, dirt, small bushes, all are caught in the tumble and become part. Only the bottom will stop the fall.

You Talked

You talked 'til you shook.
You talked 'til you grayed.
You talked 'til you wrinkled.
You talked 'til you thinned.
Now sit and ponder,
All the wasted talk
You spent on unmindful words.

The Warning

The warning was given;
Care was taken.
No one listened;
Nobody cared.
The result was expected;
Care was denied.
No one was worried;
Nobody cried.

Seeking

Sitting in a darkened room
Silence all around me
My breathing slowing down
Tranquility seeking, found.

In the End

The earth may blow up
And the universe implode.
That which is inconceivable,
The one clear bright mind
Cannot be destroyed.

Meaning

Eye to eye
Confirmation is made
Mouth to ear
Meaning is lost
Ear to mouth
Meaning is renewed

Where Am I?

I arrived!
There was no home.
I departed!
I had no goal.
In the end,
How could this be?
I've been here all along.

A Lesson

The present teaches the past
The future is found in the present

Rain and Sun

From time to time rain falls.
On occasion the ground moistens.
Afterward the clouds part,
And then the sun will emerge.
In the garden of forever spring,
There is no room for this and that.

Free Thought

We put forth the thought
And we argue our position,
But soon reason gives way
And words are no longer used,
As ideas are soon forgotten.
It is when the fruit is ripe
That it falls freely to earth.

Sight and Sound

When standing on the mountain
The body of truth is encountered
Open to the ear to be seen.
When resting in the valley
The sound of teachings echo
And only the eye can hear.

Rings

I looked at the surface of the water; it was a sheet of glass. Then a ripple appeared and a ring was formed, spreading outward. I watched it, not knowing where it would end. Soon another ring formed and it followed the first. Now I had two to follow. The first was frightening, it had no boundary, it was infinitive in nature, it could continue into the abyss. The second was finite; it was contained within the first and had perimeters. By now a third and fourth ring had joined the other two. There were tame in comparison. Each corralled more closely by more narrow boundaries, its' world held in closer check. Each a safer environment than those outer rings and so I watched. Each ring spread outward, slowly dissipating until, in turn, each began to disappear. Now I longed for them, but I feared it was not the inner ones that I really missed.

Never Irritate

"I am very surprised to see one of your kind up here near my lair. Usually your type fears me and spends your time spreading vicious lies and rumors about me and my relatives. Oh, I've heard those stories; we're all mad killers, ravishers, preying upon the weak and vulnerable."

"Well, now please, let's not get all worked up and in a huff. I was sent up here to speak with you in good faith. And what with your tendency to eat other species and the destruction of the village below, you have to admit, there is cause for concern. Why, I understand you personally devoured each and every young person around these parts, as he or she reached puberty, and you were particularly fond of the young maidens."

"Now that is exactly what I have been talking about. False stories like that just irk me. I am not a carnivore. I am a vegetarian. I have never desired the meat of any species not do I crave any now. However, give me a young sycamore, mixed with a few lilacs and a side of strawberry bushes, and I am one happy being. It just burns me to hear those lies tossed around about what I supposedly have done to your kind. I am not a mean-spirited being."

"I am certainly pleased to hear this report from you. However, just to be on the safe side, I did thrust up my little sister, the annoying young mouthy thing that she is, and I have her tied to a pole stuck in the ground right over there to the left of you, just in case you might get hungry and want a snack while we're talking. You know, I've kept up on all the legends about your deep desires for young innocent virgin girls and I do want you to be happy while you're staying here in our neighborhood."

"You are not paying attention at all, and you are also really irritating me. I told you, I am a vegetarian. I do not have any desire for meat. I truly do not comprehend the simple-minded nature of your species. How, even if I was a being that craved meat, do you get to this young innocent virgin female sexual nonsense? If I wanted meat as a beast, I would surely take meat, period. Well, I might differentiate between young fresh tender meat and old tough stringy meat, but beyond that, why bother? And as for our younger sister you brought me as a sacrifice, my very acute senses indicate to me, checking both you and her out - one, she's no virgin, and two, as far as innocent, you're closer to that status than she is."

"Well, I'll just be cutting sis loose here and... hey, there no reason to be slapping me sis. I let you go. Damn, some people just don't know when to be grateful. Anyway, we'll be going now. Sorry to bother you. If you ever want another sacrifice, let me know and I'll bring a couple girls up for you; no problem."

As he walked down the path, away from the lair, he was immediately engulfed in a searing flame which brought him to a halt, and a well-done status. The sister, further down the path, stopped to watch, expressionless. The flame withdrew and the beast approached the still standing man.

"You really irritated me. I said I do not desire meat. I did not say I would not ever try it. I often wondered what a standing rib roast would taste like."

The Edger

I was in the yard one day, edging the lawn. A man, who was walking by on the sidewalk, stopped and asked me directions to New Haven.

I stopped my work, indicated the edger I was using, and said, "When I purchased this edger, it only cost me $10."

The man replied, "I am not interested in the cost of the edger, or the savings you received when you purchased it. I asked if you knew the way to New Haven."

I looked at him, smiling and said, "I truly enjoy this edger."

Unwanted Praise

I do not need to hear the words
For the words have lost meaning
I live to do each day what I do
Not to earn from others envy
Praise does not give me health
It brings not extended life
My life is mine to live for me

All Around

Rivers wind, flowing on
Mountains rise, soaring up
Roads seem to go forever.
The deeper you explore
The greater the wonders.

Completeness

Nothing falls short
As all manage to reach
Their own completeness
Where ever you take your stand
There you will manage to cover

Closed Mind, Open Lake

The wife came upon her husband standing next to the lake. He was dropping grains of sand into the lake, one grain at a time. When she saw what he was doing, she asked him why he was doing such a foolish thing. He told her he was filling the lake in.

"You will never fill the lake in, dropping one grain of sand into the water at a time." His wife explained to him.

"And you will never understand what I say to you as long as you let my words trickle into your mind, one word at a time. However, if that is the way you wish to be, that is how I am going to live also."

Interference

Stay out of another's battles
Never borrow what your friend needs
Don't gossip about his shortcomings
Cause not his work to be undone

Before

Before you ask
The answer's known.
Before you've walked
You're already home.

The Dust Arose

As I walked, the dust arose. I contemplated where I had been; the places I had seen and the events I had witnessed. I remembered the fears. I recalled the sorrows. I pushed away the anger and the heartache. The dust continued to arise around me. Within I saw another side. I viewed the shadows; where I retreated to find peace, to seek solitude. It was a place of comfort. Now I realized I was no longer walking in the dark places. I was strolling in the light and the calm was upon me. The dust arose and I had found myself.

In the Mist

Passing through the mist
Seeking some calming essence
And yet I do not wish to leave
As I find comfort in the fog.
The dampness cools my skin
And the air tickles my senses
Yet I want even more of it.
So I throw my head back and
I scream, rippling the wind
Stirring the mist, scaring
Those who cannot penetrate
The depths of my vapor.

Pain

The enemy assails me
My defenses do waver
Though they have held
Against the foe so far
My enemy is strong
Relentless in purpose
I know not how long
My defenses may stand
I can feel the weakness
As I start to give way
I see the retreat begin
I dig in, holding on
I need to hold out still
Oh you are formidable
My ever constant foe

Zen master

The Zen master was asked, "What do you think about when you are meditating?"

He replied, "I think about not thinking."

"How do you think about not thinking?"

He responded, "Not thinking."

He thought too much. He was no Zen master.

Parent and Child

Parent and child become each other
The spring becomes the summer
The leaves fall to the ground
The snow melts into the streams
The parent grow older
The child becomes the parent
Parent and child become each other

Shadowed Wolfe

Coiled power springing upon the world, he emerged onto the sphere. From the start, he fought with inner dimensions, the clenched thoughts waiting for release. In small thrushes and tiny incursions he made his way known, attempted to demonstrate the power and, when it was shown, it was awesome. As he grew, he drifted from the pack, for he found he did not need them. His talents lay within, he was a lone one, seeking always the shadows, looking forever for his own path, wandering the woods for his own path. The words lead him and they were good. They came more frequently and in abundance. As he neared full strength, his tales were power, and others learned to acknowledge that.

Sound and Sight

To see form is personal
To hear sound, intimate
The whole body and mind
Join in seeing and hearing
There is no illusion
As reflections in mirrors
No false resoundings
Like echoes in canyons

The Past

If you stick in the past
And you're bound in cliches
You'll find yourself in vines,
Or in thorns, entangled by life.
The mists and fogs cause many
To have never found the source.

Lacking

How could you have asked?
You did not know anything.
Why did you offer answers?
I know you lack understanding.
A night’s wind blows cold,
A pine may keep all its’ needles,
But yet may freeze on a hill.

The Aunt

An elderly aunt came to visit. As she did not travel much any more, it was a joy to the relatives that she had come to see them. Many came from varying distances just for the opportunity to converse with her. A large re union and party was planned for the weekend so that everyone would have a chance to see one another and to visit with the elderly aunt. The day of the party, the aunt announced that she was not feeling well and that she would not attend the party. She insisted the family and all the relatives go ahead with their plans without her. She would sit by the window in the rocker and watch the park where the party was going on.

During the afternoon, one of her great-grand-nephews entered the house and sought her out. He was only nine years old and did not understand why she nice elderly lady wanted to stay inside when everyone else was in the park having a good time. He walked over to her chair and touched her arm. She looked down at him and smiled at him. “Whatever can I do for you, sweetheart?”

“Why don’t you want to come to the party? All my brothers and sisters, and my cousins, and my parents, and my aunts and uncles are there. Even my grandparents came. It is suppose to be for a really nice old lady, but I don’t know her name.”

His aunt smiled at him again and told him, “I am the nice old lady, but I am very, very tired. However, let me tell you a secret of mine. I learned a long time ago that I could sit in a quiet place and think about people I love or places I like and, just like magic, I’m there and I’m with those people. And today is one of those days. So, even though I am very tired and I cannot go out there with all those people, I am really with them right now and I am having a great time, probably one of best I’ve ever had.”

Her young nephew reached up and gave her a hug and told her to have a good time and to enjoy the party. He then walked out of the room, smiling, just like his great-grand-aunt. As he left, she said aloud to herself, “And you just made it better.”

Rain

Run inside, it's raining.
Might get wet, it's pouring.
I love the rain, I'm safe.
It darkens the day, I'll hide.
People don't stop, won't ask.
I'm alone, feels so alive.
Rains shares, its' my shelter.

Understanding

I once ran into a young man I named Curious. I told him that every time I saw him someone asked him a question and, instead of giving an single direct answer, he gave ten responses to the question. I said, "Isn't this so?"

He turned his head from me and mumbled, "No, I don't think so." I laughed at this and he walked away.

Soon after, due to this he moved away and became a sheep farmer. About four years later, I was traveling and I came to the farm I heard he had moved to, so I stopped to see him. I walked out into the field and, instead of finding him watching the flock, I observed him sitting under a tree, meditating.

I walked up behind him and cracked him in between the shoulders with a stick. He looked over his shoulder at me, immediately recognizing me. I asked him, "Are you still talking too much, giving too many answers to questions being asked you? Well, is that still so?"

"I no longer have so many words to use, nor do I have the need to answer your question."

I smiled, for now he understood.

Controlling Your Destiny

This is the story of Nobunaga, a legendary Japanese warrior. As the story goes, he was leading a force into battle against an enemy that was many times the size of his force; legend holds that his enemy fielded ten times the men he did. His followers were convinced they were marching to their death that day. Nobunaga believed in his cause, his men, and, most importantly, his destiny, and therefore, he believed he would win the day.

As they approached the battlefield, he had the army stop at a temple. He announced that he would enter the temple and pray for victory. When he emerged, he would flip a coin in the air for luck and to decide the outcome. If the coin came up heads, they would surely win the day. If it turned up tails, it meant they were destined to lose and he would lead the men away from the forewarned defeat. His men agreed to this.

Nobunaga entered the temple and prayed for a long time. When he emerged, he pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it high in the air. It flipped and turned many times, but when it landed, it had come up heads. The soldiers all cheered and followed Nobunaga into battle where they easily defeated the overwhelming odds and routed the enemy from the field.

Later, after the battle, an aide questioning Nobunaga about his strategy, remarking that he had taken a big chance tossing the coin, as it could have just as easily came up tails. Nobunaga replied, "Man controls his own destiny, regardless of the circumstances or the odds. All he needs to do is keep going." With that he pulled the coin from his pocket and tossed the doubled headed disc to his aide as he walked away.

Philosophy

There was a great philosopher. In his lifetime, he had been employed to teach at four renowned universities and he had received many rewards and accolades. One day he simply disappeared and was not seen again for five years.

A student, out for a walk one day, encountered a grubby beggar sitting on the side of the road and recognized him as the famous philosopher. He had always been very much taken by the writings of this great thinker so he stopped and pleaded with him to be taught by him. The philosopher turned beggar told him, "If you can do what I do for three days, I will teach you." Of course, the young man agreed.

For the next two days, as the philosopher who now begged for his existence sat at the side of the road, the young student sat beside him. When the older man begged, so did the young one. When the older one ate, then the young one ate. When the elder slept, the youth slept too. He did everything as the former philosopher did.

On the third day, as they sat, a fellow beggar, sitting near them became extremely ill, so much so that nearby shopkeepers finally called for help and an ambulance was summoned to the scene. While they waited for it to arrive. The old philosopher provided what help he could to his associate. When the medics arrived, the youth and the old man helped them load the gravely ill man into the ambulance and watched them drive away.

As the ambulance pulled away, the old man turned to the younger one and said, "Well, at least we won't have to beg today. Our friend left some food behind. We can eat that."

He then went over and began eating the food left behind by the ill beggar. the young student was appalled. He refused to join in the meal. The old philosopher remarked, "You agreed to do as I did for three days and then I would teach you. You have failed to live up to your end of the bargain. Go away."

Pride

Most covet their pride,
Having acquired it early.
Knowledge they learned
They're quick to set aside,
As if they're enlightened.

The Mirror

Few understand the question asked,
Fewer seize upon the real answer.
A mirror shows without a subject,
The image lacking reflection,
Yet it enlightens.

The tale

There were two professors teaching at a university. One was old, famous, and very wise. The other was much younger, had begun to build a reputation for himself, and was known as a spell-binding storyteller.

One day the older professor, Dr. Simmer, asked the younger one, Dr. Spring, if he could relate a story he had been told in his youth by his mother - it was an old life tale of a young boy who climbed a mountain. He explained he had been told it many times but had always fallen asleep during it as a youth and, now as an old man the memory had come back and he wish to hear a graceful telling of the full tale. Dr. Spring said he too had heard the tale as a youth, but he had not encountered the telling of it in many years and would have to study it before it could attempt telling it himself.

Sometime after that, Dr. Spring came back to Dr. Simmer and told him he had been preparing and he felt ready to relate the tale of the boy and the mountain, if Dr. Simmer wished to have it told. Dr. Simmer put him off, suggesting it was not a good time and that perhaps they could do it another day. So they parted and Dr. Spring continued to study and prepare his presentation, as he did with any story he wanted to tell others.

Several weeks later, he approached his older colleague again and made the offer to tell the story again. As before, the offer was rejected. This time it was because Dr. Simmer did not want to take the time necessary to listen to the complete rendering of the tale.

Finally after months of preparation and long after the initial request, the two men were together again. The conversation turned eventually to the ancient tale of the boy and the mountain. Dr. Simmer asked if Dr. Spring was fully prepared for the telling of the tale. Dr. Spring said he had studied the tale faithfully and knew it well. When asked if he was now ready to tell the tale, the younger man said he was and sat down with his friend and told the tale beautifully. They were both moved. They both had accomplished what they sought.

Life

Leaves emerge in the spring
Green and fresh with life.
They change and fade with fall
And the trees all turn bare.
Yet the pines remain steadfast.

Patterns

Eyes shut, you truly see.
Ears stopped, you finally hear.
Mind restrained, you actually think.

Eyes fully open, you see anew.
Ears focused, you hear more.
Mind open, now you can find thought.

Reflection

The mirror's before you
And your reflection shines
You can see it clearly,
But it is not you.