Practice can be difficult.
Often my body is filled with pain
Or clouded by fever.
I realize again
That compassion and patience
Must be extended to myself.
I consider impermanence and the connection of all,
Grateful for the many kindnesses of others.
These current conditions will change.
One breath at a time.
I consider the gateway of my death.
It is always before me, sometimes hidden by distractions.
There are periods I see it more clearly.
As of late the details of its appearance become more defined,
And the door opens widely and freely.
When will I pass through?
I, as with other beings, do not know this for certain.
Each moment brings me closer.
Let me prepare now.
I can almost feel the latch swing under my hand
And hear the rustle of the gravel as my foot starts over the stile.
Lest you say,
“I am an island unto myself,”
Remember that an island is so
Only because of other factors:
The waters that surround it and the land from which it is formed.
Should you think,
“I depend only on myself,”
Remember that your very birth was a result of others’ interactions.
We are inextricably connected to all that is;
No-one nor nothing happens in isolation.
Consider this and realize therefore
Care for oneself includes care for all.
How to develop a lighter mind,
Able to easily drift on the winds of change?
All my attitudes hinder this,
Causing me to adhere to every sticking point.
Rather than a clear openness,
I find the constant film of selfishness.
Sometimes this momentarily fades,
Through diligent application of appropriate means.
My attention waxes and wanes,
With the result that the tarnish returns.
Once again I sink under the grimy wash.
If I could but realize that this be illusion,
I could float freely as the leaf and cloud.
Let me go for a walk. How do I begin?
By starting from where I am.
I put one foot in front of the other.
Over and over and over.
I alone can do this.
I cannot ask: Would you move for me?
(I could, but this is nonsensical.)
If I want to trek to whatever destination,
I must commence.
Now is the only time;
These steps are the perfect means.
I embark upon the journey.
What is the beginning of wisdom?
Simply this. To say
I do not know.
Nothing more. This hard thing.
A sentence to utter often.
Practice articulating these words.
In solitude at first if need be, for familiarization.
One brief declaration, then stop.
Listen to what follows.
Open mind. Open heart.
Where do I take refuge?
If I build my happiness on external factors,
I will lose this. Always.
A futile task, as this brings short-term satisfaction
Which leaves me wondering where to go next.
My home will present problems
So that I move to find a better place. Again and again and again.
I think surely this time I will be content.
But there I am, and I remain the same.
I cannot leave myself behind
Yet I cast my unease as resulting from the wrong circumstances.
I want to stay in the place where I dwell
Without adding to my own suffering.
Just being alive can bring pain enough.
Let me learn wisdom, practice kindness,
Thereby to find peace.
Steam rises from the tea.
Consider these things.
When I lift the tea cup, I do so with wonder.
I do not think, “oh, if only I had a different vessel!”
When I sip the tea, I do so with appreciation.
I do not think, “oh, if only this were a different drink!”
This is the cup; this is the tea.
Right here; right now; where I am in this moment.
I drink with gratitude and enjoyment.
Consider your landscape and your place therein:
How do you move within this tableau?
A masterful stride that crushes underfoot, unheeding and careless?
A mindful walk that considers terrain, thoughtful and considerate?
Are you owner of all or simply another piece of this whole?
The answers we give delineate and determine our surroundings.
Interior and exterior, these are intertwined and essentially the same.
Trample unseeing the grass and insects; build without ceasing regardless of cost.
This befouls your very air and your indifferent heart. Death comes in many forms.
Remember other denizens have equal claim; think upon the welfare of earth, sea, and sky.
Understand this enables all to breathe with comfort in concert.
Easy? No. Your replies, my replies, our replies shape the common ground.
Think. Be aware. Transform your mind.