Buddha's Birthday

two thousand five hundred

and fifty four years ago

a child was born

to Queen Maya

and King Suddhodana.

they named the child

Siddhārtha Gautama

and  the hermit seer Asita

prophesized that the child

would be a great king

or a great sage who

could save the world.

no one knew the path

he would take

not even the holy Asita was sure.

at twenty-nine

he walked away from wealth

and power and fame

to seek the path of the truth,

and from this selfless action

he has allowed us to discover

the holy truth for ourselves.

as we celebrate

this sacred event together

let us wonder what would have happened

had Chán Master Yúnmén

actually been there

at the time of his birth

and beat him with a stick

and fed him to a hungry dog,

what would we be celebrating today?

Asita’s prophesy was a big mistake,

Chán Master Yúnmén’s statement

was also a big mistake,

also, this poem is a big mistake.

look at the person

next to you and you

will see Buddha–

look in a mirror

and in the reflection

is also a Buddha.

outside the sun is shining–

inside there are many smiling faces

all come to pay homage

to Śakyamuni Buddha

and thank him for choosing

to be here today.