Enough to Remember

I look and I see
whatever is
in front of me.

But what
makes me think
I see clearly?

What do I miss?
What do I see
that isn't there?

It's enough
to remember
that I don't know.

Tight Squeeze

Life is riddled
with tight passages.

We cannot get through them
without being changed.

To resist this reshaping
is painful and a waste.

Better to make yourself
small.

My Skin

This is my skin.
It's skin deep.

A color
not found
in nature.

Somebody else
picked it out
for me.

Want to
try it on?

The True Blasphemy

Do you think Tao
would ever abandon you?

It has never been so.

Do you think God
would ever cast you away?

It cannot be done.

Do you think you can
ever be separated from the Divine?

That is the true blasphemy.

What a Chore

God casts flowers in my path,
but all I notice are weeds and thistles.

Tao fills my days with wonder,
but all I see are deadlines and obligations.

The universe soaks me in grace,
but all I survey is a desert of fear.

What a chore it is just to look.

What Is Missing?

What is missing from this moment?
Only my presence and attention.

What is lacking in my life?
Only open eyes and an open mind.

What do I need and not have?
Only awareness of what is already mine.

Walls

A wall of silence
can kill a friendship.

A wall of fear
can kill the future.

A wall of ignorance
can kill a nation.

A wall of pity
can kill a caring heart.

Happy?

Satisfaction takes may roads.
Sometimes we get what we want.
Sometimes we want what we get.

Dissatisfaction travels one road.
It follows our ego all the way in.

Shadow Rules

Rules are for those of us
who have not yet learned
to see the shadows we cast.

Untying the Center Knot

When I untie
the center knot,
everything falls
into place.

Prison or Garden

Is life a prison or a garden?

One has no guests.
The other has no strangers.

Student Teacher

We are all made for learning.
The drive to know more is a gift.

Survive the lessons you are to learn.
Teach what is yours to pass along.

Always Room

There is always
room at the top.

If it's the right top.

Centered

Where is the center of the universe?
In the heartwood of every tree.

Where is the center of wisdom?
At the core of every conflict.

Where is the center of God?
In the heart of every loving act.

Path Work

Rules send us down one path.
Wisdom sends us down many paths.
Silence sends us down our own path.

Being Honest

Being honest
with myself
is expensive.

Being honest
with others
is extravagant.

Silent Mind

Sometimes silence is deep.
Sometimes it's profound.
Sometimes it's frustrating as hell.

What I do not hear
sometimes wells up inside
louder than shouting.

Sometimes there is only
the silence of my seeking mind.

When silence offers no answers,
patience becomes my work.

Silent Injustice

When I keep silent
in the face of injustice,
I become a party to injustice.

Thinking and Doing

Thinking is thinking.
Doing is doing.

Thinking about doing
is still thinking.

Only doing is doing.

Parent and Child

Why worry
your parent?

Why worry
your child?

Each brings
the other
into being.

Right Answer

How can I have
the right answer
for everyone I meet?

How can I know
which direction
to point them 
when I don't know
where they're going?

Why do I think
I know which road
they should follow?

I might have
the right answer,
but it's only
the right answer
for me.

Little Eternity

Eternity lies
within a single clap.

Look between
your hands.

See how small it is?

Closer Than Skin

A dog can shake off water,
but I cannot shake off Tao.

A child can slink away and hide,
but I cannot slip away from Tao.

Rain can wash away mountains,
but I cannot wash away Tao.

Tao is closer than my skin,
more intimate than my breath.

Why would I want any more
distance than that?

What I'll Miss

If I'm always listening for silence,
I'll never hear my heart beat.

If I'm always probing for insight,
I'll never feel the pulse in my wrist.

If I'm always waiting for wisdom,
I'll never see the breath leave my body.

Split a Log

Split a log
and cleave
the universe.

Two halves
of the same thing.

How Much of Silence

How much of an oak
can an ant scour?

How much of the sea
can a minnow breathe?

How much of a mountain
can a mouse glean?

How much of silence
can I ever comprehend?

Shadows' Gift

It is the shadows
that bring depth to light.

Evidence

What is obvious?
What is not?
One I see clearly.
The other makes no sense.

If we cannot agree
on what is evident,
we will never agree
on what is not.

First Barrier

Skin is not
our first barrier
against the world.

Ego is.

Becoming Art

Hang art on a wall,
and the wall becomes art.

Set art on a table,
and the table becomes art.

Mount art in a garden,
and the garden becomes art.

Start art in a mind,
and the mind becomes art.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life
doesn't grow
in some lost garden.

The Tree of Life
grows in your heart.

If you do not know this,
it isn't a garden you've lost.
It's your heart.