Thursday 7 October 2010

Buddha on The Master


Ingredients:
Sayings of Buddha on "The Master".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is seventh in the series continuing on from


1. Buddha on Choices

2. Buddha on Mindfulness
3. Buddha on Mind
4. Buddha on Flowers
5. Buddha on The Fool
6. Buddha on The Sage

The image was originally 'King of Cups' from the "Elf of Heaven" tarot, now a portrait of the 12th century Korean monk, Chinul.


Directions:
Masters of the Way,
In freedom without limit,
Feel no pain or want.

The mindful practice.
Breaking all habits, they soar
Like swans from the lake.

Never settling long,
Nor hoarding, they leave no tracks
Like birds in the sky.

Masters eat slowly.
Reflecting on impermanence,
They merge with the void.

On the air they rise
Full with emptiness and free
Like birds in the sky.

Like powerful steeds
Calmed to the charioteer’s will,
So the mind is trained.

Loved even by gods,
Masters do not stop in pride,
But ride swiftly on.

They are firm like stone,
Joyous and clear like water,
And temperate like earth.

Masters are peaceful,
Peaceful their speech and action
And peaceful their mind.

In perfect knowledge,
Resisting all temptation,
They attain the heights.

Wherever they live,
City, country, valley, hills
There’s abundant joy.

Even when alone
In the forest they find joy,
For they need nothing.

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful. I love this haiku version of Buddha's teaching.

    Love the new background from your trip :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for noticing, Lee! And thanks, Lin.

    Posted by WillRogers... on Y!A
    "The breath must become natural, without the mind getting in the way!
    The breath must become natural like the rising and setting, of the sun and the moon.
    This is called "the art of the sun and the moon".
    Both will rise and set without the aid of the human mind, is it not so?

    Through practice one will realize that:
    Affirmation must enter through the right nostril.
    Denial must exit through the left nostril."


    I don't get the last bit, but to breathe out with the setting moon and in with the rising sun seems like a beautiful meditation to me. :^)

    ReplyDelete