The Price of Learning

The more I learn,
the deeper my ignorance.

First Cell

What made
the first cell

split?

River's Source

Satisfaction flows
from emptiness,
not from fullness.

Passion flows
from awareness,
not from dedication.

Insight flows
from silence,
not from seeking.

Alone in a Crowd

Moving alone in the middle of a crowd
and not sure which direction to go,
how can I not help but feel lost and small?

Moving alone in the middle of a crowd
and trusting which direction to go,
how can I not help but feel right at home?

Three Theories

Justice is blind.
Peace is fleeting.
Mercy is forever.

Cracked

A mind cracked by distractions
is a vessel ready for truth.

It Takes Patience

It takes patience to move a mountain.

Worn Out

Sometimes I'm worn out
after a long day of working.

Sometimes I'm worn out
after a long day of playing.

Sometimes I'm worn out
after a long day of doing nothing.

Working is the most satisfying.
Playing is the most fun.
Doing nothing is the most difficult.

Spoiled

If I stare out a window
because I'm waiting
anxiously for someone,
am I not spoiling
a beautiful view
with worry?

Fearless

Trust the future
to be okay.

When Light Arrives

When light arrives,
walls fall down.

Tranquility

Is tranquility like
a glassy lake at dawn?

Or is tranquility
like a stone in the middle of a river?

One is broken 
by a single drop of rain.

The other is broken
only by time.

Flower Power

Fires rage inside every flower.

Some Boundaries

Some boundaries
are drawn outside.

Some boundaries
are drawn inside.

They're not easy
to tell apart.

One is to stretch you.
One is to save you.

Interpretation

Every pink is its own
interpretation of pink.

Every child is its own
interpretation of children.

Every moment is its own
interpretation of time.

Every tao is only Tao.

Still Good

Goodness can hide many faults.
Patience can mask bad choices.
Kindness can veil the darkest sins.

But goodness is still goodness.
Patience is still patience.
And kindness is still kindness.

What We Know

We know only
what we can remember.

Marriage

Do we really think
we can keep two people
from loving each other
just by telling them
we will not allow
them to marry?

Do we really think
we want that right?

Do we really think
we can annul the marriage
God has already made
in their hearts?

God Said

God said
Take off your clothes.
So I took off my clothes.

God said
Take off your skin.
So I took off my skin.

God said
Take off your flesh.
So I took off my flesh.

God said
Take off your bones.
So I took off my bones.

God said
What is left?

Me, I said.

Consequential Awareness

To live a life
of consequence,
live a life
of awareness.

Structural

Three structures
hold up the universe.

First is the beginning of time.
Second is the edge of space.
Third is the finger pointing at the moon.

The Anger Tool

Anger is usually the wrong tool
to use for fixing a broken friendship.
It's too heavy and hard to handle.

Patience is lighter and more forgiving.

Parade Without a Crowd

When we demand too much
attention from those around us,
we teach them not to give us any.

Already Both

We all want to be different.
We all want to be the same.

What we tend to forget
is that we are already both.

Always Bent

My perspective is always
bent by my orientation.

It's easy to know this.
It's harder to remember it.

Rain

My life is forever
partly in sunlight,
partly in shadow.
A slow dance
of light and shade.

Like rain on the just 
and the unjust,
what is bright today
will go dark tomorrow.

Letting Go

When I leave myself behind,
I can get through any door.

When I let go of my ego,
I become the center of the universe.

When I give up who I am,
I find myself right at home.

The Darkest Corners

The Tao who sees
into the darkest corners of my self
is the God who wells up from within.

The Tao who wells up from within
is the God who heals my deepest fears.

The Tao who heals my deepest fears
is the God who knows my darkest corners,
and doesn't flinch.

What Grows

Some plants will grow anywhere.
Some dirt goes begging for seeds.

Sometimes we are the ground.
Sometimes we are what grows.

Trap

The best trap
is the one we fall into
when we try to use it on others.

Full

How many fish
does it take
to fill up the ocean?

How many birds
does it take
to fill up the sky?

How many dreams
does it take
to fill up a night?

How many hopes
does it take
to fill up ambition?