great vows

that sacred vow

that now remains unseen,

always just below the surface.

it is there to remind me

how tenuous this life can be.

an ache that wants relief–

or that itch that cannot be scratched–

making itself known

on its own schedule

and within its own time.

yet knowing that you are still here

in my heart and I in yours

even if it goes unnoticed

or is pushed down again,

it remains there

as big and bright as always.

the longing soul

whose mate has somehow

gotten lost in the malaise

of life’s karmic unfolding,

but no simple act of defiance

can stop this love

from manifesting in this moment.

I will give you an example of a correct Zen Poem

the four elements 
disperse as in a dream.
the six perceptions, 
six senses, 
and the six consciousnesses 
are originally transparent.
to understand this,
the Buddhas 
and all the eminent teachers
return to the place of light.
the sun is setting 
over the Western Mountain,
the moon is rising
in the East.


March 22, 1975

moon poem in Gaelic

here is a tribute to my dear mother in her native language. The language of my ancestors...


anaithnid chailleann an gealach,
Bhí ndeachaigh an óige draíochta.
in ionad le tuairimí eolaíochaan dromchla,
ach ag breathnú ar an dromchla,
ach cad is féidir a discernedtríd an cuspóir senses.
Tá go fóill, 
tá roinnt eolaisthar an eolas?
Is féidir a eagnafoghlaimíodh ón leabhar?
na cúig choláiste agusdhá fhreastail ollscoileanna,
Ní amháin cúrsaí ar fáil ar eagna.
chreidiúint go bhfuil fós i bhfórsaí mysteriously dofheicthe,
Tá a n-éifeachtaí agus intomhaiste predicable.
an gealach an irresistible tarraingt ar tides aigéin,
an rince draíochta na filings iarainnlaistigh 
de réimsí maighnéadacha bhogadh;
fós, leid dhá lovers glacadhar oíche 
moonlitgazing le chéile ag gealagus spectre 
glowingardú ar an scóip soiléircaillte 
i n-ghráagus ar snámh ar tráthnóna aer fionnuar,
a bhfuil éifeacht iarmhartach evokedag 
an mbabhta orb boga i spás?
féachaint ar an gealach roinnt oíchemar 
atá sé arduithe ar na spéireina SOILSE 
go léir agus splendor,
Mothaíonn an awe agus an 
Wonderbhraith tú mar leanbh.
éilimh eolaíoch go bhfuilaon rud cosúil 
le cumhacht draíochtaD'fhéadfadh 
go mbeadh misconstrued, b'fhéidir,
ag an altóir an oibiachtúlacht.
tá a fhios agam thar eolais?
maidin an-an fear ar an aoibh 
gháire gealach -agus gach 
bhí soiléir go leor.

moon

loosing awe of the moon,

the magic childhood was gone.

replaced with scientific views

of superficiality,

looking just at the surface,

only what can be discerned

through the objective senses.

yet, is there some knowledge

beyond the knowing?

can wisdom be

learned from a book?

of five colleges and

two universities attended,

not one offered courses on wisdom.

believing still in mysteriously invisible forces,

their effects are measurable and predicable.

the moon’s irresistible pull on ocean tides,

the magic dance of iron filings

within moving magnetic fields;

yet, suppose two lovers embrace

on a moonlit night

together gazing at a bright

and glowing spectre

rising on the clear horizon

lost in their love

and floating on cool evening air,

what resultant effect is evoked

by the soft round orb in space?

view the moon some night

as it rises on the horizon

in all its majesty and splendor,

feel the awe and the wonder

you felt as a child.

scientific claims that there is

no such thing as magical power

might possibly be misconstrued

at the altar of objectivity.

is there knowing beyond knowledge?

this morning–the man in the moon smiled–

and all became quite clear.

December 19, 1997

Costa Mesa, CA

An Ancient Capital

Xi'an is bathed

in a glaring yellow haze,

the ancient capital

surrounded by

farms and poverty

the south gate welcomes

barbarians from

the west.

the hyatt regency

an insert for foreigners.

a quiet stroll

down the long boulevard

this restaurant–no english

no menu in sight

a hot pot with

water and blood

fish heads float

in the boiling broth

with a tripe and

cucumber feast.

no meaningful words

were ever exchanged

the dinner

an interesting extravaganza

not knowing what to do

when visiting the east

you are only a guest

understanding this

the correct response

appears in this moment.

life

to say my life

is a great mistake,

to think this is mine

is pure delusion,

to want something

is only a thought,

to believe in an ideology

is a human’s folly,

to make something

is what we do for entertainment,

to be present

is what the Buddha taught,

to have everyday mind

is what Nánquán expressed,

to only not know

is the way of Seung Sahn,

so what is your way

of seeing clearly in this moment?

one sword

one sword which replenishes,

one sword which takes away.

illuminated by lightening flash,

momentary objects come into view.

lions pounce and claw,

the dog runs after the bone.

March 6, 1975

beyond belief and ideas

beyond belief and ideas

there are moments that

transcend the times of life

and connect us to the ultimate

reality of the unfolding presence.

can this become more

than opinion,

or more that our expectations?

settling into the moment

we can not define a single

minute detail

for it is this indefinable

and unknowable

mystery that life

brings forth and we must

ultimately follow.

becoming or just allowing

the flow and the ebb of

our situation

free from any perception

or expectations

that may limit this

ongoing unfolding of eternity.

so we are

and we become

and we can see

but is it beyond

this ultimate idea

of life

that we have in our heads?

love

is not an idea.

compassion

is not an action.

piety

is not being kind to parents.

grace

is not a gift from god.

all of our lives

are perfect

transcendent

and perfect.

just this

just now

be!


Photo: Samantabhadra's Temple on Emei Shan, PRC 2004