Currently Browsing: Things that remain mysterious

Because there is

 

I picked up a little book of poems titled The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy. After months of looking at Instagram and Pinterest and reading very little, it was a joy to discover these poems.

Lighthouse

Its vision sweeps its one path
like an aged monk raking a garden,
his question long ago answered or moved on.
Far off, night-grazing horses,
breath scented with oatgrass and fennel,
step through it, disappear, step through it,
disappear.

– Jane Hirshfield

 


The distant mountains
are reflected in the eye
of the Dragonfly

– Kobayashi Issa

 


The ink dark moon

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It’s true, the wind blows terribly here.

But moonlight also leaks

between the roof planks

of this ruined house.

– Izumi Shikibu (translated by Jane Hirshfield)

 


Sabi

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Kirei sabi – refined beauty and lonliness
Kirei suki – taste for refined beauty
Sabi – lonliness, lonely beauty
Yugen – mystery and depth

 


On the day after an autumn rain

Today

Acorns falling

Frogs jumping

Leaves scattering

With you

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On the day after an autumn rain everything moves one deeply. The fields are woven in a brocade of color. In the woods, under the oak trees, acorns fall in a torrent. Light evening rain; frogs cross a dirt road in the black night jumping everywhere.

We make up poetry.

 

 

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Shadow and light

Last night we sat zazen during a wild thunderstorm. It was early evening and still light; the clouds came and went furiously illuminating the room with lightning and then darkening it. The wind blew the trees outside and rain pelted down on the roof. Inside all was quiet and serene. Dark and mysterious. We disappeared into the shadow and depth of twilight.

My favorite time to sit zazen when it's so dark you disapear.

Evening twilight, my favorite time to sit zazen.

 

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