Essence

we sometimes find ourselves
in the the craggy places in life
there is no warmth
the sun always seems to be obscured by clouds
as the dampness sets in
we realize our place in the cosmos
good and bad
right and wrong
these are merely constructs
if we attach to our situation
we lose ourselves in the process
it is this subtle understanding
that blocks the path
to our true selves
whether our situation is good
or our situation is bad
has nothing to do with our lives.
we must see the truth
in this very moment
and transcendence all of our thinking
to arrive at the present
and say hello
to our true selves

crazy

a man took off

all of his clothes

then went

running down the street.

one mouth said,

‘crazy!’

another mouth said,

‘crazy!’

but, you are crazy,

I am not crazy.

a tree penetrates

the center of the sun,

while the stone boy

eats the brilliant moon.

who repaired

the sun and the moon?

in a nest,

baby birds

cheep

cheep

cheep

only for

their mother’s mouth.

S.S.

November 13, 1975

waiting

the cat

only waits

at the mouse hole,

a crying boy

only calls

for his mother.

originally

there is nothing,

so why

does the western wind

shake the eastern forest?

the sun

is setting

over the southern mountain.

S.S.

November 12, 1975

dreaming

a dream—is a non-dream,

a non-dream—is a dream.

who has made dream?

who has made non-dream?

if one mind is clear;

infinite time is manifest.

the sun shines everywhere,

illuminating and bright without end.

S.S.

June 17, 1975

inclement weather

dense fog fills the valleys.

the grey cold creeps into my bones.

mossy peaks jut out of clouds,

their outlines a blur—

out of focus and

stopped in time;

they float on the horizon.

my mind is a mess—

just like

the confusing mist.

floating just where

I want clarity—

hiding it from my sight

I strain to see,

with all my might—

when I stop

and just relax—

out of the corner

of my eye.

a fleeting glimpse

tells me

it will all be

all right!

for sŏnsa–nim

grey beard

soft as white clouds

his clear eyes manifest

in the azure blue sky

the old man said;

‘soft is better,

like yielding water

wears at the granite.”

I will meet you

in ten thousand years,

when spring comes

snow melts

and water

flows to the ocean.