HAIKU 3

a bird calling like a bell

a dart of stillness

scent of flowers in the rain

Elise Bedard

HAIKU 2

The moon shines over the stream

Footsteps in the snow

Lead up to the other shore

~ Elise Bedard

PATH

Do I see the footprints of Buddha?

Are they the words of the teacher?

Are they the support of friends?

Are they the movements of my breath?

They are everyday actions

Done with compassion

They are ordinary words

Said with mindfulness

~ Elise Bedard

BECOMING

I planted a Linden sapling

and cared for it,

another living being.

Drinking in the sun and rain,

it responded

by expanding with vigour.

She offered the gift of flowers,

the fragrance heady.

Gently,

this great Bodhisattva provided shade

for the Buddha,

the pond and it's

community of goldfish,

the Cardinal family,

and me,

providing a cool,

welcoming shelter for all,

regardless of whom or what.

As I sit by the pond,

enjoying yet another generation of goldfish,

drinking linden flower tea,

I ponder the life we've shared.

~ Thich nu Tinh Quang

Shoveling Snow with Buddha

In the usual iconography of the temple or the local Wat
you would never see him doing such a thing,
tossing the dry snow over the mountain
of his bare, round shoulder,
his hair tied in a knot,
a model of concentration.

Sitting is more his speed, if that is the word
for what he does, or does not do.

Even the season is wrong for him.
In all his manifestations, is it not warm and slightly humid?
Is this not implied by his serene expression,
that smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the
universe?

But here we are, working our way down the driveway,
one shovelful at a time.
We toss the light powder into the clear air.
We feel the cold mist on our faces.
And with every heave we disappear
and become lost to each other
in these sudden clouds of our making,
these fountain bursts of snow.

This is so much better than a sermon in church,
I say out loud, but Buddha keeps on shovelling.
This is true religion, the religion of snow,
and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky,
I say, but he is too busy to hear me.

He has thrown himself into shovelling snow
as if it were the purpose of existence,
as if the sign of a perfect life were a clear driveway
you could back the car down easily
and drive off into the vanities of the world
with a broken heater fan and a song on the radio.

All morning long we work side by side,
me with my commentary
and he inside the generous pocket of his silence,
until the hour is nearly noon
and the snow is piled high all around us;
Then, I hear him speak.

After this, he asks,
Can we go inside and play cards?

Certainly, I reply, and I will heat some milk
and bring cups of hot chocolate to the table
while you shuffle the deck,
and our boots stand dripping by the door.

Aaah, says the Buddha, lifting his eyes
and leaning for a moment on his shovel
before he drives the thin blade again
deep into the glittering snow.

from Sailing Alone Around the Room, New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins, 2001

FRANCE'S VISION

I see my vision through a kaleidoscope and acknowledge that it is a gift. A kaleidoscope celebrates a vast array of colors and forms inviting change through vulnerability. Aided by mirrors and patterns, my view offers limitless possibilities to create beauty and awe.

K is for Kindness. May all beings be filled with loving kindness.

A is for Acceptance of the world and of myself exactly as we are in this moment.

L is for Light and Love. I am here to radiate light and love.

E is for Energy. I am filled with energy, able to do whatever I choose.

I is for Individual. Honoring my own uniqueness allows me to compliment others, rather than blend in.

D is for Devotion. Prayer and meditation are my lifelines to Spirit and to healing.

O is for Observant, mindful seeing and serving.

S is for Soul, reminding me to nourish my own so I may effectively serve others.

C is for Courage, standing up for myself and taking action to make my dreams reality.

O is for Odyssey. I learn as I journey, unveiling the myth I thought was my life.

P is for Purpose. My purpose is to be grateful, loving and generous, inviting the divine spirit to guide my way.

E is for Eagle, who inspires me to fly.

NAMASTE

~ France Robinson

WINTER

Snowflakes floating on air.

Sparkling against the wintry day.

Alighting gently on trees, ..... everywhere.

How magical.

Sparkling trees and children laughing.

Snowballs on the air, snowmen and

Angels on the ground.

What brought you here snowflakes ?

Birds flying, squirrels scurrying,

Deer leaving footprints .

I see you all ,

Just like pictures on my wall.

Hush, I feel the depth of silence.

Snowflakes, I know why you are here .

I know why you're everywhere.

Jeselina Ruska

HAIKU

sitting still as a mountain
pointing at the moon
the Buddha is teaching me

Elise Bedard

SITTING ON CUSHION

Sitting on cushion,

I am Buddha

I am Kuan Yin.

Buddha,

Kuan Yin are me.

I am everyone who has gone before.

I am everyone yet to be.

Smiling…knowing….

I

Am not.

Prasad Michele Purdy

CONDITIONED ARISING

Imagine how long you have been
Becoming,
Riding the ever-revolving
Cycle of existence
To be revealed as a flower,
Rock,
Cloud,
Or a wolf,
The Dharmakaya reflected in her eyes.


Each particle of wolf, cloud, rock, flower,
You
Was spewn out of our
Ancient, spinning sun
As conditions arose and ripened
With the momentum
Of the great,
Ponderous
Wheel.


Moving,
Becoming,
Being born and dying,
Flower and you,
Empty phenomena rolling on
Inseparable from the whole,
Moving and becoming
Again.

Thich nu Tinh Quang

TAT TVAM ASI

तात त्वं असी

Throughout the ether I have been.
Before time;
Since the Beginning;
Before the Beginning.
I am the Void.

I am sunbeams
Glancing off the rain drops,
And melodiously intertwined notes in music.
Twin stars;
A dividing cell;
Molecules dancing in gaseous material,
The lonely call of the loon in A Thunder storm.

Clay,
the potter,
the pot,
the emptiness
And the fullness of the pot,
I am.

Provider of food
And the food,
I am the cook and the
Act of eating.

You will find me as the largest Galaxy of space,
Or as the smallest molecule of Space between the Galaxies.

I am the reflection in your Mirror.
See me.

See yourself.

Thich nu Tinh Quang

AUTUMN

Letting go,

Of flowers and a gardenful of leaves.

Hummingbird feeders on the shelf.

Ah,

The change of season.

An everchanging collage of

Colours and shapes.

I see through forests.

I am those changes.

Be still and be present.

Watch the sun set and the sun rise.

Silent, as the birds watch

The day gone by.

Jeselina Ruska