Buddha on The Path

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Path".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is twentieth in the series.

The image is "Sir Galahad" by Arthur Hughes.

Directions:

Of the eightfold path,
Four truths and law of craving,
The Buddha sees all.

There’s only one path,
None other – follow this path
To see like Buddha.

Outwit temptation,
Break illusion, remove thorns
And heal sorrow’s wounds.

How to know this path?
Having myself found the path,
I’ve shown it to you.

Do you have the will?
Masters can but show the way.
Now it’s up to you.

With calm and insight,
Practice meditation and
May you break all bonds.

All form is formless,
Transient, changing, so be it!
Enough of sorrow!

Life is imperfect,
A rocky ride, let it be!
Enough of sorrow!

All is without self.
To have this insight, aha!
Enough of sorrow!

These three are one path.
Meditate on change, on pain
And on the beyond.

On this shining path,
Purity comes through insight,
So make the effort.

You are young and strong,
So arise and concentrate
Lest you lose the way.

Be careful in speech,
Well-focused in mind, and calm
And pure in action.

In meditation,
Wisdom’s born, and it’s lost by
Not meditating.

Knowing this process
Of gain and loss, you should act
To increase wisdom.

Sorrow comes from greed.
Cut the forest of craving,
Don’t cut the real tree.

Craving breeds danger.
Cut the forest of craving,
Burn its undergrowth.

If lust is not cut,
And the slightest trace remains,
Then it spells bondage.

In thoughts for women,
Man is bound like a young calf
Bound to its mother.

Pluck the pleasant thought,
Like a bright autumn lily,
Knowing it will fade.

You have heard tell of
The desireless realm, so take
The path that leads there.

“Here I’ll set up camp
Through rain and shine,” thinks the fool,
Not sensing danger.

One attached to kids
And comforts is swept like floods
A sleeping village.

Sons, daughters, parents
Cannot protect one from Death,
Nor can friends or kin.

He’s a wise man who
Has morals, clears the path, and
Looks after himself.