Rambling in the Eunseon Ravine

no sound of mountain or beings,
flock of birds fly accompanying a cloud.
water flows down and flowers in full bloom,
I forget the time to return.

Mt. Yeonam

The day was getting dark and I saw the snow blossoms
 On snow capped Mt. Yeonam,
 A young student informed me that
 The drum had been already been struck for the evening meal

The Collected Writings of Gyeongheo

Women-sí

the mountain mist floats in and out

of the crevices and valleys below my feet.
Jinding cliff falls off into a sea of vast whiteness,
Wumen-sí means temple above the clouds,
where Zen Monks practice and
pay homage to the sacred Bodhisattva’s home.
one minute visible and then gone
in the very next instant.
many Monks living at the roof of China
in the perfection of blue skies
and bright sun
the thin air has me gasping for breath.
I bow to Samantabhadra
as an old monk strikes the bell,
Amidofu he says,
Amidofu I reply.

renegade ji do poep sa nim

sitting quietly in the upstairs dharma room

the early morning stillness envelopes me

participants are scarce

only hang ja nim and I are present

after some period of time

the stillness of the morning is suddenly broken

the door creaks open, thudding footsteps resound,

and the slick rustling of nylon clothing

thinking immediately arises

who is it who doesn’t understand

correct situation and correct function

trying to return focus to the floor

the noise irritates me

suddenly a tap on the shoulder

reveals the culprit

a renegade ji do poep sa nim

who has snuck out of kyol che

the irritation vanishes as she

invites me to an impromptu breakfast

teacher and student,

wonderful to have such friends

catching up on events

the realization arises

that we are not two and not one

the eggs, hash browns and toast are delicious

the conversation is clear

don’t attach at all to the process

seize the moment before it is gone.

March 8, 1996
Providence Zen Center, RI

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