July 10, 2013

A Bodhisattva's Vow (originally published at the Dog Zen Koans on June 18th, 2006)

I'm not that concerned about environmental warming:
A cool sun hides within storms of human childishness.
The tides of seeming knowledge, reason's loss
Generate the winds and the global patterns we miss,
Next, idealism. Next, a suicide warning.

People, listen to me for once!
You can't sew without a needle's sharpness
Your defense assumes dignity, righteousness, furvor,
But to spasm against your opponent like that
The center is ever missed as you flail and punch.

Don't attack kindness in the name of goodness
Don't criticize unless you know for sure
If you don't know just leave it be
There's no vision without stillness,
No success apart from silent clarity

Sixty billion ancestors scream, ignoring the mystic Tao,
A hellish din, unheard by the dense incarnate hordes
This show ran too long, at least for my taste,
So I choose to stay in the beauty of the wildwood place.
Enjoying its splendor, I have plenty now.

Whatever happens, come what may,
I pray you join my wish today
To stay in protection of the abiding ones
As Kali's burn has just begun
We'll stay until the job is done.