On Being Awake

When am I fully awake?

Is it when I'm fully aware
of what I'm doing in a given moment?

Or is it when I'm fully lost
in what I'm doing in a given moment?

None

None of the pictures of God
I carry around in my head
are really pictures of God.

None of the images of Tao
that I think are true
are anywhere near the truth.

As intimate as my face.
As near as my hand.
Why can I not see this?

Extinction

The gate closes.
The latch turns.

What was loose
on the land
is now gone.

Locked away
for another eternity.

What I See

I see what
I expect to see.

When I don't know
what I expect to see,
I see what I think I see.

When I don't know
what I think I see,
I see without prejudice.

Six Tasks

Grow still.
Bend down.
Discover patience.
Accept imperfection.
Listen with both eyes.
Say thank you.

Wall Reality

A wall stands
between us.

My bowl is full.
Your bowl is empty.

You're hungry.
I want to share.

How real
is the wall now?

Light Source

Light from inside.
Light from outside.

Two paths.
One source.

Breaking Ground

Seeds of the next generation
will always seem sharp to some.

We forget how important sharp
can be when breaking ground.

Cathedral in the Woods

Pine grove at the edge of town,
a dark cathedral with swaying roof
and ruddy needle carpet.

Two pines make a wide door.
The rest make tall, open windows.
Beyond, the river flows fast or slow
depending on the time of year.

A chapel built completely by the mind
and yet what basilica can claim better?

Practices of Trees

Stillness and awareness.

How do we know these
are not the daily practices
of every tree we see?

Pain Is a Delicate Thing

It turns out pain
is a delicate thing.

Distractions blow it away.
Time buries it in memory.
Normality swallows it whole.

Accept it as a child.
Let it go when it's time.

Flowing River

A river flows through
the ten thousand things
like space through matter.

Flowing, and yet still.

Finger on the Scale

How easy it is
to judge someone else.

How easy it is
to misjudge myself.

Every ego is like this,
a finger on the scale.

Sent

Send a blessing.
Send a curse.

How do you
know which one
you really sent?

Long Looking

Look up and see more than sky.
Look down and see more than dirt.
Look left and right and see more than air.

We are embedded in the body of Tao.
Tao is embedded in the body of us.
Sometimes it takes long looking to see this.

What My God Demands

If my God demands a sacrifice,
why should I not tremble in fear?

If my God demands perfection,
why should I not run and hide?

If my God demands awareness,
why should I not just open my eyes?

Life in Death

Does God live on in
a dead leaf on the ground?

Does Tao still flow through
an ancient riverbed?

Does Allah exist inside
the curve of an empty skull?

When life leaves the living,
doesn't it live on in the dead?

Isn't this what keeps
the ten thousand things growing?

Equal Weight

One man carries
darkness on his back.
Another man carries light.

Do their burdens weigh the same?
Or is that an illusion, too?

Forget Yourself

Forget who you
think you are.

Give up your
ideas of yourself.

Let go of everything
your ego tells you.

What you have left
is more than enough.

Vine Work

The work of a vine
is to explore as far as
its tendrils will spread.

But how far is that?
How far can you stretch
if you don't know your reach?

What a Waste of Now

Waiting for what
hasn't arrived yet
is a waste of what has.

Why Worry

Why worry about the future?
It's full of change.

Why be anxious about the past?
It's mostly forgotten.

Why be afraid of the present?
It's the best gift you have.

Flight

What father doesn't want
his sons and daughters to fledge?

What mother doesn't want
her daughters and sons to fly?

Surely somewhere back there,
we had ancestors with wings.

Spring

Sitting on the porch
at night while it rains,
lights off, thunder
in the distance,
everything green.

No birds need to sing.

What We Sacrifice

What we are
willing to sacrifice
to get what we want
will tell us more
about ourselves
than we probably
want to know.

How Good?

How good does a bird have to be
to be a good enough bird?

How good does a mountain have to be
to be a good enough mountain?

How good does a river have to be
to be a good enough river?

How good does a soul have to be
to be a good enough soul?

Two Sides

Two sides to every story.
Two sides to every mouth.
Two sides to every battle.

Two sides to every coin.
Two sides to every argument.
Two sides to every equation.

Two sides to every river.
Two sides to every border.
Two sides to every conflict.

One side to every Tao.

Best Response

The best response to fear?
Compassion.

The best response to hurt?
Mercy.

The best response to defeat?
Humility.

The best response to loss?
Generosity.

How Many?

It doesn't matter how many
will listen when you say your name.

It doesn't matter how many
will turn as you walk through a crowd.

It doesn't matter how many
gifts you bring as your offering.

It doesn't matter how many
memories you leave behind.

How many doesn't matter
once you discover who you are.

Playing to Play

Playing to win is not playing.
Playing just to play is playing.

Tao rises to the surface in play.