Alone Koan
Tag Archives: Buddism
ALONE KOAN
ALONE KOAN
What is the sound the old monk asked
What is the sound of one hand clapping
It is, of course, the sound of loneliness
playing pat-a-cake pat-a-cake with the dead
Hoping that they will rise again
at least long enough to applaud
the poem you wrote for their passing
RINPOCHE AT ESALEN
RINPOCHE AT ESALEN
Small round happy
Tibetan spirit bubbling
teaching from his words and being
“The search for God is everything
but it is not serious”
BREATHE
BREATHE
The Buddhists say
“Breathe in all the pain of the universe
and breathe out love”
For the longest time I thought
in my Protestant work ethic way
this is important for the good of the world
and I should be doing it
Work hard breathe in
work hard transform
work hard breathe out
Protesting somewhat now I see
It has nothing to do with doing at all
and little to do with me
If you do not try stop it
you will breathe in the pain of the world
for it is all around you
If you do not try to stop it
you will become one with it all
and breathe out what you have become