Buddhist Poetry sept 2015 issue by Buddhist Poetry

息 Hiriko Bhikkhu

The gift of Dhamma gives enormous benefit, boundless benefit. By this d達na, from whatever misery one becomes freed, this freedom is forever. From whatever bondage one becomes freed, this freedom is forever. Hence the d達na of Dhamma is greater than any other d達na.

Goenkaji

It is with immense joy and great happiness on this auspicious occasion of Binara Poya Day that we present you with our second edition of the Buddhist Poetry magazine, by the Buddhist Poetry Community of Google Plus. This Binara Poya Edition is a grateful tribute to all the Bhikkhunis of the past , present and future because it was on this very day that the Bhikkhuni Sangha was established.

We express our deep gratitude to The Buddha, The Maha Prajapati Gotami and Venerable Ananda, who paved the way for the emancipation of all women. It is also in this day that the Buddha visited Thawthisa heaven to preach to his mother and celestial multitude. Binara poya also falls during the Rainy retreat of the Maha Sangha where limit their traveling and follow intense spiritual practices. The Community has grown fast ever since our first Buddhist Poetry Vesak edition that came out in April 2015 and we take this wonderful opportunity to kindly thank all our members and all special guests who have contributed so very generously, with much fervour and enthusiasm to the Magazine. A special thanks to Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Hiriko for their valuable articles and for providing the wonderful pictures for the magazine.

We sincerely hope that this special Binara Poya Edition inspires you to walk the Noble Path with even more vigour and faith.

With much Gratitude and Metta _ /|\_

Page No.

Content 1

Do We Have Inner Beggars ?

Suranganie Dayaratne

Haiku

Fei Zhan

Avatars

Krishna Mohan

Introspection

Krishna Mohan

What have you lost ?

Michael Cannon

I am blind

Mac Vogt

Grandmotherly Kindness (A Hyangga)

Eunsahn Citta Gartland

Vajra Metta (haiku)

Eunsahn Citta Gartland

From the Dhammapada

Lakshman Kodagoda, Mary BalfanzThomas

Poems

Michael Schuh (M.)

Heart Sutra : Emptiness is Empty

Bup Sahn

I Find Peace

Quero Apache Prayer

Trees and Us

Adamay 58

Wealth Brings Happiness

Bhikkhu Hiriko

19-21

Poems

Denis Wallez

This Body is Not me by Thich Nhat Hanh

Katharina Loska

The Seed of Wisdom

Michael Gallagher

The Watchful Eye

Michael Gallagher

Nothingness : Something or Nothing ?

Mark Walter

26-28

Haiku and Poetry

Brier

Poem

Lucian Dantes

3, 2, 1, Zen

Michael Cannon

31-33

8 INFINITY 8

m F Zenpoet

Buddhism and Women

C Shakya

A Quote

Jeffrey White

One Language

Jacob Salzer

A Poem

M. Rochecouste

Poems

Mary Kathryn

Changing Mind

Jonathan Neske

40-41

Appalachian Acknowledgment

Nicholas Busch

Holy And Divine

Amit Rahman

The Notes of Meditation

Bhikku Ninoslav ﾃ惰］amoli

44-46

Haiku

Paul L

Poem

Stefan Thiesen

Kathy Phillips and the Poetry of Compassion

Stefan Thiesen

49-51

Haiku

di dung

Poems

Mulyadi Kurnia

Based on the Teachings of the Blessed One

Shantha Hulme

Poems

Fabien Todescato

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis : Breakthrough

Fabien Todescato

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis : A Lioness Roar

Malintha Perera

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis : Seeing Patacara

Malintha Perera

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis : Breaking Through...

purvaa i

Buddha Evaporated...

Suresh Gundappa

Rising, Falling...

Thomas Fraser

Maitreya

Ulf Wolf

Haiku

Ulf Wolf

Naked Day

nandu menon

Haiku

Stephanie Mohan

Poem

graeme russell ellis

Pupphavagga : Blossoms

graeme russell ellis

Blessed is he

Keerthi Withanarachchi

Book Review : The Buddha by Trevor Ling

purvaa i

Vassa Moon

Malintha Perera

A Poetic Commentary on the Platform Sutra

Brier, Malintha Perera

68-69

Linked Verse Series

Malintha Perera, Shantha Hulme, Michael Cannon, Krishna Mohan, Lucian Dantes, Purvaa I, Brier, Nandu Menon, Stephanie Mohan

70-71

Great Resources

Anumodana (dedication of merits )

73 6

ÂŠ Malintha Perera

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa Honour to the Blessed One, the Exalted One, the fully Enlightened One

The Great Bodhisattva Vows Sentient beings are numberless; we vow to save them all Delusions are endless; we vow to cut through them all The teachings are infinite; We vow to learn them all The Buddha-way is inconceivable; We vow to attain it.

We all have inner beggars. Who?

Eye is a beggar. Wanting more and more to see. Ear is a beggar. more and more to hear.

Nose is a beggar. Wanting more and more smells. Tongue is a beggar. Wanting more and more taste.

Body is a beggar. Wanting more and more comforts. Mind is a beggar. Wanting more and more information. Thus all the senses are beggars, who live in, though not visible.

The most wonderful definition is, they cannot be satisfied. Until the death, they will go on begging.

Yet the wise guy, realize the truth, able to defeat, the whole bunch of beggars. Suranganie Dayaratne

A freelance writer, engaged in Buddhist activities, and also social activities. Lives in Sri Lanka. Her published book is called WITH WISE REFLECTIONS -- Dhamma in poet form. 8

Special Guest

reborned in celestial former mother dote on ultimate truth

unyielding spirit succeeded at last Bhikkhuni comes forth

fei zhan

three big steps

A businessman, artist and a haiku poet living in

to heaven's zenith

North Sumatra, Indonesia

divine miracle 9

when equanimity

loses its' self: ignorant nirvana Bending light cause I'm gravity A child of delight cause I'm levity

Going forward cause I'm time Began with a word cause I'm rhyme

Seeking order

ÂŠ Purvaa i

cause I'm chaos Discover disorder cause I'm seance

Defining principles cause I'm control Splitting multiples cause I'm whole

Educating masses cause I'm knowledge Ignorance surpasses cause I'm self-haulage

Answers rare cause I'm exam Hiding everywhere cause I'm IAM

krishna mohan

what is the last door

Tell me, "how do you

you could not open?

want to be treated?"

what is the last floor

"Could you begin by

you could not climb?

treating others that way?"

circle the infinity

No matter what, "could you

stick to what does not harm

the infinitesimal

life around you?"

ponder over what

"Would you accept

any one harming

with you all through?

you or hurting you?"

I'm not you Yet you ask me "How to do" "What to do"

what is the last door you could not open? what is the last floor

"When to do"

you could not climb?

Tell me, "are you

you are moving

breathing when I tell you to?"

on to your bed when you feel sleepy, not when I want to sleep

Tell me, "are you eating when I ask you to?"

so why turn to me for help, for aid, for teaching,

Tell me, "do you know what makes

for direction? Originally from India, now in USA.

you happy?"

Tell me, "could you be happy with yourself?"

krishna mohan

for guidance,

break the mirror

His poems can be found in many g

shatter the glass

plus poetry communities

kill your vanity for I'm only your reflection

Listen, "no one else matters! you are not

A shadow without a reality

tied to me or any one else!" 11

The bones are the truths, The body is the path. The sutras are blood, The Dharmas are tattered robes. But this Buddha of form and sound Is not the Buddha. Rituals are to remember teachings, Not required if not forgotten. Meditation is to centre oneself, Not required if one is not moved. Sila, Prajna, Samahdi, Emerge from the true Buddha Without anything added. Too look outside for Buddha is To miss the point Too look inside is to discover, Nothing can be found. In between these extremes, Is the centre of the circle Beyond all definition, distinction, differentiation Is a well of pure Compassion, Wisdom, Peace. Bones turn to dust, Body falls apart, Blood dries up, Robes scattered in the wind. Even so, the formless, soundless Buddha, remains.

Michael Cannon

Michael Cannon is a Classic Boat Restoration specialist, now in the thirtieth year of this occupation. A father, racing sailor, and martial artist, his interests include Buddhism, from Theravada to Zen, philosophy, history and the sciences. 12

Special Guest I am blind. When I open my eyes, no change. The world still exists. I still am somewhere.

the water laps at my face makes a line

Face to face with the void and for the first time I sense its depths: the world still exists.

Mac Vogt

Mac Vogt, Toronto resident, writes when not working with coffee. He is sometimes active on Google+, posting a range of pieces on life, love and the future. His â&#x20AC;&#x153;Language and Line" is a featured collection in Google plus : https:// plus.google.com/u/0/collection/wmf0Z) 13

Kwan Seum Bosal of the regal pose Jijang Bosal, protecting those with none Hear the cries of the world, perceiving sound, the sounds of the crying children and dead!

Bodhidharma comes from the West For Refugees from the Pure Land Ma's shout! Hungbo's stick! Linji's Katz! Make no sound, make no sight.

The Mad Monk Wonhyo Saves beings in hell.

Eunsahn Citta Gartland 14

A dream or lightning May all beings be happy From now until...now

ÂŠ Eunsahn Citta Gartland

Torrential rain past Moon over Massachusetts No pointing needed

ÂŠ Eunsahn Citta Gartland

Eunsahn Citta Gartland Guiding teacher, One Mind Zen Sangha, a Zen Buddhist community in Northampton, MA (a member of the Five Mountain Zen Order, in the lineage of Zen Master Seung Sahn). He is also an instructor at Buddha Dharma University, USA. http://onemindzen.org/

“All life Matters (No shades) All men tremble at punishment, All men love life; Remember that thou art like unto them,

“They blame those who remain silent, They blame those who speak much, They blame those who speak in moderation, There is none in the world who is not blamed.”

And do not kill, nor cause slaughter.”

Dhammapada #227

Dhammapada # 130

Mary Balfanz-Thomas

Lakshman Kodagoda

Processes need time.

Tainted Love ~ Silence

Because they are complex.

The imminent Perils of Eden

Until we find the simplicity

Absence

again. This is weird. This is normal. This is. Label free. No_thing ... comes without side effects!

Michael Schuh (M.)

Bup Sahn

Looking behind, I am filled with gratitude, looking forward, I am filled with vision, looking upwards I am filled with strength, looking within, I discover peace.

Bup Sahn

We should look at each other When we are older More like beautiful old trees.

ÂŠ Malintha Perera

No one complains that an old tree should be More supple or sleek. Our imperfections from age make us more beautiful.

Adamay 58

Wealth Brings Happiness! Special Guest

Bhikkhu Hiriko

“What is given to one who is virtuous, great king, is of great fruit, not so what is given to an immoral person.” - The Buddha

The Awakened One says it is quite right that we look forward to get rich. He even gives us guidance on how to become rich and thereby become happy. For example he says, possessing these three factors, a shopkeeper is incapable of acquiring wealth most yet acquired or of increasing wealth already acquired” (AN 3:19) and can become rich if he has “keen eyes, is responsible, and has benefactors” (AN 3:20). And what does it mean to have keen eyes? He knows: “If this item is bought at such a price and sold at such a price, it will require this much capital and bring this much profit.” Responsibility means that he has experience in sales; having benefactors means that wealthier people and other customers know him as one with keen eyes, being responsible and fair. The Awakened One also points out (AN 3:29) that if we do not observe skillfully and if we are not responsible, then we are just like a blind person who does not know what is useful and what is useless, what is unjust and what is not, what is bad and what is good, light or dark. Such a man the Awakened One named as a hypocrite who is only seeking wealth for themselves, who is a cheater, a liar and enjoys such kind of sensual pleasures that pulls him only to the lower and painful conditions. 19

Therefore he teaches us to seek fortune and wealth righteously

filling up our bank account and in the construction of high pro-

and with our own effort. And the profit which has been accumu-

tective walls around our house. Absolutely everything we could

lated is shared with others, with the best of intentions. Also he

hold on in the world will still fall apart. A good investment is

tells us that we should avoid “blind people” who are only an

when we invest time and assets with generosity. So we make

obstacle to our righteous life, and encouraged us to associate

people happy with it and in return we become more dear and

with people who have both eyes open. And if we move forward

agreeable to many people, good people resort to us, we have

towards a rich life, then we should abide in a suitable environ-

gained a good reputation, and also we feel more confident and

ment, trust in good people, form the right resolutions, and to

free from depressed states (cf. AN 5:34).

have done deeds of merit in the past. This man should soon attain greatness and abundance of wealth (AN 4:31). All this happens because of the confidence and good reputation he has gained in a righteous manner. Doubts? Perhaps we are rich or see other wealthy people, but somehow this philosophy just does not work: people are still unhappy! Where, now, is the fault in the idea, “wealth brings happiness”? This matter has also

When we think that happiness depends only on material goods, we will surely soon experience disappointment when the time of its loss arrives. Matter is changing. Matter can be stolen, destroyed, or simply its significance or purpose has changed. But a good merit cannot be destroyed by anyone else or anything. Even after our death we cannot take with us the goods and wealth; what we do take is only the fruits of our actions.

been directly addressed to the Awakened One (SN 3:19). King Pasenadi was telling the story to the Awakened One about the

This can be described with the following example: if we are free

financier who recently passed away and left behind a huge for-

and we own nothing, we no longer need to lock our house; how-

tune. The king wondered why one so wealthy was still so misera-

ever if we have expensive items that we do not want to lose,

ble, ate little and bad food, used only old clothes and the broken

then we lock our space and we defend it. The same goes for our

carriage. Surely such wealth should bring him more benefits?

being or existence. Being is this house. We close ourselves in

The Awakened One replied:

being, we are afraid, we desire large walls or become angry if

“So it is, great king! When an inferior man gains abundant

someone is crosses the border. With such a condition the walls

wealth, he does not make himself happy and pleased, nor does

just keep growing and growing in height, until the time comes

he make his mother and father happy and pleased, nor his wife

when we no longer see a fellow human being and when we are

and children, nor his slaves, workers, and servants, nor his

not able any more to search for help and support from others.

friends and colleagues; nor does he establish an offering for

Our imprisonment is self-imposed. We, ourselves, determined

monks and priests, one leading upwards, of heavenly fruit, re-

and created our own destiny, this suffering! And happiness is

sulting in happiness, conducive to heaven. Because his wealth is

just the opposite of this: when we don't allow the heart to hide

not being used properly, kings take it away, or thieves take it

in itself but allows it develops a good virtue, and when we col-

away, or fire burns it, or water carries it away, or unloved heirs

lapse the prison walls with generosity and destroy the dark igno-

take it. Such being the case, great king, that wealth, not being

rance with wisdom.

used properly, goes to waste, not to utilization.”

On another occasion, the king asked (SN 3:24): “Venerable sir,

The Awakened One also said that if we enjoy the wealth and use

where should a gift be given?” The Awakened One answered

it to help other people around us and practice generosity to-

him, “Wherever one’s mind has confidence, great king.” “But,

wards people who have pure virtue and wisdom, then having

venerable sir, where does what is given become of great fruit?”

wealth is not in vain, but brings great benefit and happiness in

“What is given to one who is virtuous, great king, is of great

this life and in the next. We can say that we have invested our

fruit, not so what is given to an immoral person.” It is said that it

goods and money in a way that brings us happiness here and

is already meritorious if someone throws dirty water out into

now and in a later state. The investment, in this case, is not in

nature by saying, “may this water sustain the living creatures.” 20

Let alone if the recipient of our gift is a moral being – indeed,

in the walls and the old roof may collapse in the near future.

more the merit to support such a being (AN 3:57). If we donate,

When I look at this Hermitage I see only what the world already is

for example, to the national army or to the butcher, then this gift

in itself: very fragile. Absolutely everything is subject to destruc-

encourages more killings and pains in the world. In such a case,

tion. The world truly can not guarantee happiness and stability.

we probably would not agree that the gift is really beneficial. The

However, materials goods can benefit only if they are used to

same applies if the gift encourages more desires: such a gift also

support the realization of true happiness, if it is invested into

is not exactly “purified” and it brings little benefit and merit.

pure goodness. Do good deeds to good people for good results. We continue to

The Awakened One said that someone gives a gift with expectations, with a bound mind, looking for rewards; he gives a gift, thinking: “Giving is good” or “It is ancient family custom” or “When I am giving a gift my mind becomes happy.” This man will probably be born in the heavenly world because of his good deeds, but this advantage will not last forever, because the gift is still limited, there is still a search for selfish needs. But when do-

purify our hearts by being generous and kind – we do not have to wait for the perfect receivers. When we live in harmony with nature or Dhamma, then we are free: we live to give things away, to let go, to help and support others to follow the selfless way, all the way to the ending of being. In this case, it really does not matter whether we are rich or poor in the material world, because now we live in the true wealth of Dhamma!

nated by the thought “It’s an ornament of the mind, an accessory of the mind,” then such an offering is truly without borders, fully open and infinite, as that is the characteristic of the liberated heart. If our gift supports another's hatred and desire then the gift is not completely clean either. A good man is the one “who gives gifts not to harm ourselves nor others" (AN 5:148). So, if we want to give a perfect gift, then we do not give in order to satisfy someone's desires and support their sensual comfort, selfishness and hatred, but to support that which increases and encourages abandonment, selflessness and joy. At this present time when, for the first time, there is an opportunity for monks to live in Slovenia, in an old, small cottage at the

Hiriko Bhikkhu Buddhist monk at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

edge of a forest, I'm quite aware how much the world is insecure.

http://slo-theravada.org/

In it there is nothing safe. Setting up a forest hermitage is not the

http://pathpress.org/

same as founding an institution or a company; that is with many signed papers, ensured finances and with insurance that the business would be secure, stable and progressive. The Hermitage is entirely dependent on the goodwill of other people: there is no guaranteed donation. It is allowed to grow, but at the same time is allowed to collapse. Monks are not allowed to cook, produce and buy food: therefore the food supply is not guaranteed. And the house, built of mud and wood 80 years go shows large cracks 21

Seeing the reflection of the moon on the water, distorted by events making ripples, by the wind, is it short sighted or long sighted?

Seeing the reflection of the water on the moon; seeing the close in the distant, and the self in others.

The smell of freshly cut grass? The scream of thousands of heads cut.

Reality's "beauty" is too conventional to silence its stress and struggles.

To enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass? To rejoice in the decapitation of thousands twigs.

Reality's beauty is everywhere, like the smell of incense; incense is used for prayers to soothe the world.

Denis Wallez Buddhist teacher, philosopher and priest, France. http://www.koan.mu/denis.htm 22

"This body is not me. I am not limited by this body. I am life without boundaries.

I have never been born, and I have never died.

Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars, manifestations from my wondrous true mind.

Since before time, I have been free.

Birth and death are only doors through which we pass, sacred thresholds on our journey. Birth and death are a game of hide- and seek.

So laugh with me, hold my hand, let us say good-bye, say good-bye, to meet again soon.

We meet today. We will meet again tomorrow. We will meet at the source every moment. We meet each other in all forms of life."

~By Thich Nhat Hanh, Chanting and Recitations from Plum Village. Page 188.

Katharina Loska

It's really just another seed This physical place we seem to be So vast we can not comprehend ÂŠ Malintha Perera

No matter how hard we look within

Some penetrate its outer shell And experience other worlds as well Some return with great insight While others scamper to block the light

"Its really just another seed This physical place we seem to be"

The "wise men" gather and expound their "truths" They pound their walls and call it "proof" They build a world on constructs formed By faulty "proofs" now crowns of thorns

Their pounding soon creates some cracks The "wise men" call the masons back With words they attempt to patch the lesions But can not conceal this light of reason

As truth illuminates within The constructs formed start wearing thin And as darkness slowly leaves the womb Wisdoms flower begins to bloom

Michael Gallagher

The cushion welcomes me home Each breath delights Thoughts scurry and resign As Illusions fade Under the Watchful Eye

On the head of a pin I sit No past No future No when of anticipation With the Watchful Eye

Bags of rags once sorted Differences Similarities Identities fading Transforming Under the Watchful Eye

Endless sky Ten thousand suns Ocean of illumination This Watchful Eye

Michael Gallagher

If we can say and think the word ‘nothingness’ then the implication is that ‘nothingness’ must exist. But is it nothing? Or something?

In The Monastery of Nothingness, we often state that

I have experienced the Nothingness something like this - there is

“Nothingness is our goal.” Over many centuries, the term

a vast, dark sea of stillness - darkness, yet inexplicably full of

‘nothingness’ has been repeatedly referred to by sages and

light. Out of that vastness, that darkness, that stillness… some-

teachers. For example, Taoism and Zen both refer to the specific thing emerges. The vastness, the darkness, the stillness is what term ‘nothingness’ as a mindset or as something for the student gives birth to intention. This, while my opinion, is based in my to discover and connect with. The term or its equivalents exist in own personal experience. The basis for my statements are not many cultures and in many spiritual teachings.

based on faith, are not based on the sayings or writings or teaching of others. Although they may be in agreement with others,

Nothingness has come to be known by many names: mushin or

any agreement is simply because I have seen and experienced it

empty mind, the Tao, Zen, the void, no mind, abiding, being in-

- and it happens to agree with what others have said or written.

the-moment, in the groove, bathing in the essence, channeling

In other words, I am not saying it because I want to be agreea-

the everything, the Inward Teacher, the still small voice, con-

ble.

ducting the universal flow, or what some people call a deeper inner connection to the Higher Self.

So, this is one of the things I have experienced and realized: that before thought is intention. But before intention is what? Before

I believe this inner connection improves our relationship to our-

intention is the vast stillness, the darkness, the potential. Every-

selves and the people in our lives, and also improves our rela-

thing in my experience arises out of the darkness, the living still-

tionship to our personal goals and objectives, and the situations

ness, the Nothingness.

we find ourselves in. I am not claiming I have a deep understanding of all of this. I am I believe in practical approaches to both everyday life and to

not claiming that my realizations are final destinations. Far from

experiencing what some refer to as ‘living in the moment’. I per- it, they seem to be merely stepping stones in the unknown. I am sonally promote universal principles as both ‘a way’ to improve simply stating what I have seen and experienced, and I’m bringourselves, and as a set of signposts to help guide us along the

ing that information back to the trailhead to share around the

path of discovering improved consciousness and awareness.

campfire with fellow travelers.

Universal principles, in my opinion, help us to both better navigate the unknown, and to take us deeper and deeper down the

Nothingness is simply a term to denote a state of mind, a state

trail. They are the absolutes that counterbalance the constant

of being, to express a condition, etc. So, we can say that noth-

flux of nature’s movement, flexibility, growth and relativity.

ingness is the absence of something, yes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the absence of something is negative. If there is

Implications of the terminology

no air in a room, is that negative? Not if it is a scientific vacuum

Suggesting, as I do, that the Nothingness has been called many

test chamber.

things may seem to imply that each of the terms I use are synonyms for Nothingness. Well, it all depends on how we view it.

I do not view ‘nothingness’ as something that is abstract. I view

Because each of them are actually something.

it is as real and substantial, based on personal experience. But its attributes are very difficult to describe. 26

Mushin

I selected the word because it is the best word I have found to

In the martial arts the term ‘mushin’ denotes:

describe my own personal experiences in an aspect of the inde-

Mushin (無心; Japanese mushin; English translation “no mind”) is a

scribable. And I have been deliberate in not stopping with the

mental state into which very highly trained martial artists are said to

term itself, as though using the word ‘nothingness’ would be

enter during combat.They also practice this mental state during every-

sufficient. Instead, I have devoted a great deal of thought to

day activities. The term is shortened from mushin no shin (無心の心),

attempt, in my own small way, to impart a clearer sense of its

a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to

meaning.

as the state of “no-mindness”. That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything. It is somewhat analogous to flow experienced by artists deeply in a creative process. *Source: Wikipedia+

Being able to experience something doesn't necessarily mean it is comprehensible or conveyable. So, for me anyway, selecting this term is a little bit of picking a word that makes no sense, but does make sense, but doesn’t. No sense, but not nonsense, but

The expression ‘no mind’ is not implicitly negative or positive. It

sensible… with some explanation… at least to a relative point.

is an expression. And it is relative. Expressing the inexpressible Similarly, the state of ‘mind without mind’ is a description of yet

Of course, there are circumstances and experiences that bring us

another state of being. These terms, similar to nothingness, are

to a point where words fail. Inexpressible horror or grief come to

terms that describe a condition, and are not necessarily easy to

mind. In such cases, the selection of any single word or group of

describe.

words to describe what can’t be described will inevitably fall

There is nothing but Nothingness, nothingness in the triple sense: noth-

short. So it is with this particular term.

ingness because the little self has to go, and one has to become nothing; nothingness because the higher states of consciousness represent noth-

A commenter on the term I choose, nothingness, suggested that,

ingness to the mind, for it cannot reach there. These states are com-

“there is no sense claiming that which you cannot demonstrate.

pletely beyond its range of perception. Complete comprehension on the level of the mind is not possible, so one is faced with nothingness. And in the last, most sublime sense, it is to merge into the luminous Ocean of the Infinite. – Irina Tweedie, Sufi teacher

Use of the term I did not select the term based on historic usage by any spiritual or similar path. And even though I have a lengthy background in the martial arts, it is certainly not a term that is prevalent, or even used in modern day martial arts. I have, however, tried to use the term to convey as a placeholder of sorts, describing something that is very difficult to describe. It seems clear that in many cases, historically, it has been used in a similar manner, regardless of any distortions that have occurred along the way.

To do so is to rely on belief when reason is sufficient to discover the truth.” In response, I am grateful to address the issue of belief versus reason. In my own case, and I suspect it is true of all of us, I doubt it is possible to entirely rid ourselves of belief that is independent of reason. But credits to the man or woman who attempts to do so. In my own life, I base my opinions on ‘nothingness’ on personal experience, not on the words or beliefs of others. Whatever faith is still involved (relative to my personal beliefs in this matter) has far more to do with faith in my own reasoning and experiences than faith in the statements and beliefs of others. I strongly agree with those, past and present, who promote the notion that each of us should listen to our own inner compass, our own inner voice, first and foremost.

And, while I agree it is far better to be able to demonstrate claims, not everything is readily demonstrable. Just because something can’t be demonstrated does not invalidate its existence. Sometimes the failure to demonstrate lies in the demonstrator and his/ her lack of skills. Sometimes the witness to the demonstration is incapable of seeing, hearing, understanding or comprehending, for some reason or another. Sometimes it is because the object to be demonstrated is very difficult to demonstrate or prove. Or all of the above.

The inner path is a ‘path’ because it is not frequented

Interestingly, these inexplicable things and (personal) experiences are, it seems to me, describable. But only, it seems, to those who have been down that part of the trail. When talking with certain people, admittedly few, there is a somewhat shared and un-

spoken common language, that words hint at, and that the other person sometimes immediately grasps. It is clear that there exists a vocabulary that lies between words. Lovers, best friends, business partners, grandparents, parents and children can often relate to this. Widening the Path I am not suggesting that the totality of the unknown and inexplicable are within our grasp. Our minds don’t seem to be in any condition to do that. But I do believe there are stepping stones along the path of the unknown, and that if we work together we can gradually find ways to convey the seemingly inexplicable. The inner path is a ‘path’ because it is not frequented. Get more people on it and pretty soon it gets widened and paved. History repeatedly demonstrates things that were once unknown and then eventually became commonplace. What was once a mystery becomes an everyday commodity. These are the kinds of goals we need to be striving for, both individually and collectively — a mutual, group dilation of a small portal, converting it into a hyperspace jump into the infinite.

Source : https://medium.com/@seek_wa/nothingness-dde34366ef68

Mark Walter Mark Walter resides in southern California, and is the founder of The Monastery of Nothingness. A Jiu Jitsu sensei, his life has been deeply influenced by martial arts and decades of studies in the so-called esoteric arts and sciences. All of this has helped him become extremely uninfluential. Mark is also cofounder/CEO of biix. http://themonasteryofnothingness.blogspot.com/ https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114484673570650168296 28

well worn wooden beads slowly dripping through fingers one breath at a time

ÂŠ Brier

The master strides fiercely To the front of the zendo Swinging his staff in a great arc Knocking the Buddha off the altar Crash The fool ambles along Trying to find his cushion Stumbling in his bowing Knocking the Buddha off the altar Crash Shards of broken ceramic Lining the floor with hazards Lining the mind with hazards Who is the teacher? Crash

inked words blank as the page what is there to read?

Brier

ÂŠ Brier

A Komuso living in the USA. Loves nature and writing poetry has become a way of life 29

Too much to think of. I can No longer break through, Here, underneath, in the Now.

The inner eye is strayed away So often and so far from the Path.

Just now and then the still glimmer is rising up like a waking stalagmite.

For just one spark of time, the sculptured light: the awakening, underneath the mind that is dreaming.

In the abyss between two thoughts, unwillingly I feel the same stillness.

The same flame, petrified that is longing for me Back from the thought, From deed, From dream.

Lucian Dantes

Three Have you ever been witness to the moment when a baby, for the first time, realizes the person in the mirror, is themselves. It is a wondrous, and almost uniquely human trait, with one exception. No other creature can articulate this comprehension, or develop an internal articulation of a concept of 'me'. The quality that gives rise to 'me', exists in its original state from beginning to end, unknown to 'me'. The following stage of the development of self, is the comprehension of 'myself', that is, as distinct from yourself. This idea proceeds from the initial comprehension of 'me' and creates the appearance of being distinct and separate from another. As one grows and has various experiences, develops likes and dislikes, fears, both real and imagined, a narrative begins to take shape, based on 'me', and

ÂŠ purvaa i

constructed on 'myself'. As one ages, this narrative firms into 'I', which becomes the personality that is projected out into the world. 'I' is what is selected by 'me', to be the image of myself that others see. These three aspects of self, me, myself and I, give rise to three negative aspects; greed, jealousy and anger. The notion of separated individuality, creates the conditions for these negative aspects to infiltrate ones thoughts, motivations, intentions and actions, and which becomes the source, and cause, of a great deal of suffering, for oneself and others. However, it is difficult to overcome the sense of one and another, mine and theirs, I am, you're not, as the narrative of separateness began with 'me', and there is nothing known from before 'me'. Because of this separation, it can be easy to slander, bully or mistreat others, to cause disadvantage or harm. For some people though, there is a sense that something is not quite right with this picture. These are the people who ask questions such as; who am I, what is self ? Gautama Buddha asked himself these questions, and arrived at some astonishing conclusions; Nothing is eternal. What people generally perceive as reality is not. The source of suffering is ones own mind. The capacity to completely overcome the dissatisfaction inherent in impermanence, and misconceived notions of me and mine, you and yours, is within each person. Gautama Buddha clearly defined the human condition, and proposed mind training strategies, with moral guidelines, to aid people in overcoming self, and developing a clearer way of viewing the world. In engaging theses strategies and observing the principles, it is possible to change the dynamics of the three aspects. By turning ones view from without to within, one can begin the process of altering ones perceptions. For instance, by viewing 'me' as the Buddha within, ones thinking mind, 'myself' as the Buddha before 'me', and 'I' as the Buddha without(others), it becomes clear that there is no separateness, either within or without. That all people are equally possessed of the same 'Buddha before me', and that it inhabits an equally flawed human being. As Hui Neng said to the Fifth Patriarch, "Although other are people from the north and south, there is ultimately no north or south in the Buddha nature. The body of the barbarian (Huineng) and that of the High Master are not the same, but what distinction is there in the Buddha nature?" 31

Two In a similar way to the development of self through the stages of me, myself and I, many people who come to have an affinity for the Buddhadharma and Zen, also progress through stages, which could be roughly categorized as; Buddha Zen: form is emptiness, emptiness is emptiness. Bodhidharma Zen: no-form, no-emptiness. Everyday Zen: form is form, emptiness is emptiness. As with the development of self through stages, the understanding of Zen unfolds at its own pace, without intention, through experience and reflection. The Buddha Zen stage parallels in many ways the development of 'me', or the Buddha within. It is the coming to a new knowledge of self. From form is emptiness, one sees that ones own body, is empty of self subsisting, separated individual existence. In emptiness is form, one sees that the thinking process which gives rise to 'me', springs from emptiness, is empty of substance, and any substance attributed to thoughts, is the result of grasping and rejecting, and misconceived notions of separateness. By a thorough understanding of this principle, one can put an end to suffering both within oneself, and without. After further reflection, one may progress to Bodhidharma Zen, which corresponds with 'myself', the Buddha before 'me'. Noform, no-emptiness, is the realization that this quality existed prior to any concept of 'me', form or emptiness, and that it remains as it ever was, despite being obscured by the construct of 'myself', piled on top. This pure Buddha nature has no form, and no notion of emptiness. Although, in the ultimate sense, there is nothing permanent which could be said to be 'myself', or that belongs to 'me', even at this stage, many people can struggle, or be unwilling, to relinquish their grasp of self, of narrator and narrative, subject and object.

One After still further investigation and reflection, one may reach the stage of Everyday Zen; form is form, emptiness is emptiness. This is seeing everything clearly, just as it is, with nothing added or taken away. It is the complete comprehension of the indivisibility of subject and object. It is the pure understanding of the transitory nature of every single thing, the absolute acceptance of existential momentariness. Every body is Buddha, and every thing is Buddha function. So after all that work, what will one have gained? Essentially there is nothing tangible which could be gained. But one will have obtained something useful. The uprooting of self through dharma. The abandoning of falsely conceived views. The capacity to overcome stress and anxiety, all the way to seeing and abiding in ones own true nature. These skills allow for happiness entirely independent of external circumstances, and a greater ability to flow with the momentary nature of existence without feeling as though one may be pulled under and start drowning in the endless stream of cognizance. All of these benefits provide for a freedom of thinking, and the flexibility to cope with any situation in an efficient and appropriate manner. A willingness to be of service to others, with no expectation of any reward, the capacity to overlook insult, and non attachment to praise or blame. But perhaps the most precious gain, is a deep sense of the absolute interdependence and connectedness of all things, the commonality with everything in ones environment, that fosters an equanimity, an immensely deep well of patience, compassion and kindness, which can come from abandoning notions of self and other.

Zen So what now? It can be a trap, knowing something that others don't, to watch people inflict suffering on themselves and those around them. You see those others respond in kind, and the endless cycle of suffering all around. One can become overwhelmed by compassion overload, or develop a missionary type zeal of needing to save everybody from themselves. Or worse, come to an empty religiousness, and give away what one has sought so long to obtain. But at last, one finally comes full circle, and the circle brings one to that mind which existed before 'me'. But that can only happen by avoiding the traps. The old masters had a way for escaping those traps, a pure, simple Zen; Don't Know. Put it down. Don't think in terms of common and holy. Do what needs doing, do what is right and necessary. Don't do anything which is of no use. Forget about it, and get on with enjoying life. Be momentary. Be useful. Just be... What did you gain from enlightenment? Nothing whatsoever. But I will tell you what I have lost. Anxiety, grief, fear of loss, of old age, sickness and death... When the occasion arises, the Bodhisattva performs acts of charity, at other times he remains quiescent. As a drop of dew at dawn, or bubble in a stream, A lightning flash in a summer cloud, A mirage, an illusion, a phantom or a dream Thus should you perceive all this fleeting existence

ÂŠ purvaa i

Michael Cannon

Although I sit with darkness Stars may keep the distance of my thought As feelings fly as comets Travellers of orbits far from my centre Fracturing in dusted streaks Under the fires of my hidden sun

Although I sit with darkness Forms take life in dancing curves of flame-light Golden swells of warmth Semblances of burning limbed spirit Keeping bright in dark As time embers out of breath

Although darkness walks with light I sit in place between this beat of hearts Seat of sight within emptiness Wall-less seasons to existence Circles forever passing centre In the silent shape of infinity

m F Zenpoet

Women's position in Buddhism is unique. The Buddha gave women full freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious Teacher who gave this religious freedom to women. Before the Buddha, women's duties had been restricted to the kitchen; women were not even allowed to enter any temple or to recite any religious scripture. During the Buddha's time, women's position in society was very low. The Buddha was criticized by the prevailing establishment when He gave this freedom to women. His move to allow women to enter the Holy Order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity like men to attain the highest position in the religious way of life by attaining Arahantahood. Every woman in the world must be grateful to the Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for giving such freedom to them for the first time in world history. A good illustration of the prevailing attitude towards women during the Buddha's time is found in these words of Mara: 'No woman, with the two-finger wisdom (narrow) which is hers, could ever hope to reach those heights which are attained only by the sages.' Undoubtedly, the Buddha was vehement in contradicting such attitude. The nun (bhikkhuni) to whom Mara addressed these words, gave the following reply: 'When one's mind is well concentrated and wisdom never fails, does the fact of being a woman make any difference?' King Kosala was very disappointed when he heard that his Queen had given birth to a baby girl. He had expected a boy. To console the sad King, the Buddha said: 'A female child, O Lord of men, may prove Even a better offspring than a male. For she may grow up wise and virtuous, Her husband's mother reverencing, true wife, The boy that she may bear may do great deeds, And rule great realms, yes, such a son Of noble wife becomes his country's guide,' - (Samyutta Nikaya)

The Buddha has confirmed that man is not always the only wise one; woman is also wise. Nowadays many religionists like to claim that their religions give women equal rights. We only have to look at the world around us today to see the position of women in many societies. It seems that they have no property rights, are discriminated in various fields and generally suffer abuse in many subtle forms. Even in western countries, women like the Suffragettes had to fight very hard for their rights. According to Buddhism, it is not justifiable to regard women as inferior. The Buddha Himself was born as a woman on several occasions during His previous births in Samsara and even as a women He developed the noble qualities and wisdom until He gained Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/227.htm

C Shakya 35

ÂŠ Malintha Perera

In a world where you can be anything Be kind

(unknown)

Jeffrey White

They told us that shapes are sounds

then we learned how to form words with them then phrases and sentences and stories

one language was learned and built from shapes drawn onto empty pages

until a day came when I lost the ability to speak

sentences became phrases became fragments of words became letters became glass became myth became dream

I watch them appear and disappear rising and falling in sleep the sound of the evening tide

From â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Days of Winter: A Collection of Poetryâ&#x20AC;? by Jacob Salzer.

Jacob Salzer Jacob Salzer is a healthcare professional who has been writing poetry since 2006. He is the author of 2 haiku collections: The Sound of Rain and Birds with No Names, and 2 poetry books: The Last Days of Winter and Advaya. His haiku are featured in Frogpond, Under the Basho, Chrysanthemum, A Hundred Gourds and The Heron's Nest. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, USA. His poetry blog can be found at: jacobsalzerpoetry.blogspot.com

Witness

The incense burns, An orange glow and a pillar Of smoke, The smell of sandalwood Hangs in the air.

Sit.

Chanting "Amitabha" The Bodhisattva's name Cuts a wake Between life and death. Eyes downcast, Ice-cold hands, Fumble beads.

The mala string becomes a tightrope, A bowstring, A bridge, A coil of smoke, Across a chasm.

Moving between thumb and forefinger, Each bead is a world, Again and again, Touching the earth, Beyond life, Beyond death, Beyond birth and rebirth, In countless Buddha Lands,

M. Rochecouste

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges. A lecturer living in Sydney, Australia

Be quiet I say begging bowl in hand Rattling emptiness Enough for one day Is more than enough Carry this moment Over flowing life Generosity Light and heaviness Resting, hand pillow I watch stars revolve As I also do

ÂŠ Mary Kathryn

Bow to others? Don't bow to others Bow to yourself in others Prostrate sitting upright To immeasurable light This visible dharma - life Keep your eyes open painted moon

Mary Kathryn

ÂŠ Mary Kathryn

I turn the honey upside down and squeeze

it snorts like a nose that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely blow

some of the tacky-sweet sticks to my fingers and I lick it off before I pour the hot water into my purple mug: with the tea bag and the last of the honey

I toss the empty honey bottle in the trash

(I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even recycle it)

because more than anything these days I just want to throw away

throw away this rubbish of anchors that chains me here: The flotsam and jetsam of my last seven years sits and surrounds in piles (or not-piles) and I want it gone Gone. So I can go I want to be done and clear and have this mess empty

And so I lash out thoughtlessly at innocent victims like the honey bottle (who really deserves to be recycled instead of languishing in a landfill)

so amid this I sit and breathe for an hour

and my mind watches my breath (for most of that time)

and then

quietly, I go back

to the trash

take

the honey bottle

rinse

it out, and

put it

in the recycling

(who am I to prevent reincarnation?)

because every action no matter how

mundane

is an occasion to practice oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind.

Jonathan Neske Jonathan Neske, now living in China, is a contemporary poet who works to dissolve boundaries though both written and performance poetry. His freeverse poems range from contemplative to ecstatic, and pursue the joy of surprise found in ordinary life. As an independent author, Neske writes, performs, and teaches full time. His work is at http://jonathanneske.com/ 41

The warm breeze Thaws my Coleman fueled lungs Will I combust? The teeth got in my head As dank wood silently decays in serene, aesthetically pleasing death throes It can’t be that easy to die As the woods die They bring life The death of a tree Brings light to nature’s carpet The corpse of the tree Feeds the unwavering carions of the life circle It happens again. Mosquitoes are thick In the wet earthy musk Their hunger seems insatiable and indiscriminate Wouldn’t this be easier if they weren’t invading my head holes? Birds converse While squirrels argue The loudest forest creature- the chipmunk Makes disproportionate ruckus In a hurry, to make the two yard dash As the sun reaches its apogee above the trees The cool, wet forest is transformed Into the steamy sauna of nature The laser sun rays Pierce every space between The leaves Bringing light to every crack and crevice. Nicholas Busch

Source : https://mountainpapa.wordpress.com/

Love it before you learn to read and pick the words – just a handful, no doubt, for some selfish purpose or to drive a point home, out of a thing, more vast than you or a mere multitude, bigger than the oceans and the sky combined, otherwise how can you call it Holy and Divine! Before scheming through, love it with an open mind!

All of you Christians, Muslims, Jews Hindus and Buddhists too – anyone with a Scripture, that they so love to call both Holy and Divine, do love it with an open mind!

Then the world should have been as grand as the Elysian plains but now, see how all the great religions of peace and harmony are spread across the world through chaos and bloodshed, preaching peace with the smoke of war! Though we cannot remedy history, the future depends on what we decide! Amit Rahman Yes, love, for that is what you shall find in the letters too – how the Lover has been separated from the Beloved and how to yearn to be united once again; some call it Paradise, while others – Nirvana!

Amit Rahman was born in 1980 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is an undergraduate in Computer Science and English Literature. His favorite band is Metallica, favorite musician, Al Di Meola and favorite poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. You can find his work at https://amitpoetry.wordpress.com/

by Bhikku Ninoslav Ñānamoli

Any external interpretation is regarded as an explanation, which means that phenomenology remains buried deep down under layers of pre-conceived ideas and assumptions © Bhikku Nanamoli

The contemporary Buddhist outlook usually equates the practice of ānāpānasati with the practice of jhānas, and if not regarded as same, it is too often thought that by practicing ānāpānasati one will by default “enter” a jhāna. I suspect this assumption stems from the commentarial times, whereby various meditation techniques, that revolve around the idea of the mindfulness of breathing, were concocted and advertised as something that would directly lead to the experience of jhānas. Jhānas are the establishments of mind, and as such they are to be developed upon the sufficient degree of mindfulness, which in return can be established upon various different things, ānāpānasati being one of them. Thus, it should be clear, that the practice of jhāna is a fundamentally different practice from ānāpānasati. While ānāpānasati shares a nature of the phenomenological exercise of one’s actions in regard to body, feelings, mind and thoughts, jhāna is less of that, but more of an establishment of one’s mind upon a certain way of attending to things (in this case upon a phenomenological surmounting of the sensual domain), and the discernment involved therein. In other words, by understanding what jhāna is, one enters it, not by performing a set of prescribed motions that somehow make it “happen” to one. Obviously, one can develop and establish an unwavering mindfulness through the practice of ānāpānasati, and once established one could change one’s outlook and with such mindfulness recognize the extent of sensuality, as a phenomenon, and what exactly it entails, and by doing so step outside of it, so to speak. In this way one would enter the first jhāna, where that mindfulness would remain fully established and can be developed even further. It is clear here that it is not that ānāpānasati in itself took one automatically into a jhāna, but that the change of attending to things did, once the mindfulness was strong enough. Furthermore, jhāna is not taught as a goal in itself, as Kāyagatāsati Sutta (MN 119) tells us, but as one of the forms that can bring one’s mindfulness to the necessary fulfillment. So, in order for any of these paragraphs to be intelligible, one will have to abandon the notions of “meditation techniques” and all the contemporary ideas of the practice of concentration, which is usually taught at the expense of mindfulness and with underlying wrong views (such as mystical absorptions and novelty experiences that then become a measure of one’s “success”). When a person hears the term ānāpānasati, he will be better off thinking “development of mindfulness” – the same mindfulness that he has to varying extents in his day-to-day experiences. “Meditation techniques” are usually sets of fairly random motions and performances, idiosyncratic to the particular meditation teacher, that require one to follow certain prescribed steps which if performed correctly, and with some luck, will make one experience “something”. Often, in return, that same teacher would have to “interpret” back these experiences for one.

To put it bluntly: if one needs to be told by another, what the significance of one’s experience was, this means one has not understood it by oneself. It means one is still concerned with the particular aspects (i.e. the random contents) of one’s meditation experience, and one fails to see the general nature of it all. As a result, any external interpretation is regarded as an explanation, which means that phenomenology remains buried deep down under layers of pre-conceived ideas and assumptions. This holds true even more when it comes to the idea of “attainments”, which are also regarded as experiences that “happen” to one, almost against one’s will and as a result of “a very good technique” one has employed. There is a concealed irony there that escapes such people, because if one needs to be “confirmed” a sotāpanna, for example, by one’s teacher, this means one doesn’t know that one actually is a sotāpanna, which means that one can still doubt it, which in return means that one is not freed from the fetter of doubt, i.e. actually not a sotāpanna. The irony is further amplified if the teacher goes ahead and “confirms” one. If one is to actually understand what “being free from doubt” (and the other two fetters, characteristic of the sotāpanna) is, one would realize how non-applicable any external affirmation or denial is. It is certain that understanding cannot occur in someone who is not trying to understand

How obstructive to phenomenology (i.e. mindfulness) this whole way of practising is, can be seen from the nature of understanding. One understands things when one understands them, when the knowledge in regard to the nature of an arisen thing is there, and not when one successfully goes through a set of methods and observances that relies on almost mechanical set of motions one has to perform attentively. Any bodily act and any act that pertains to the bodily domain (such as the celebrated and misguided notion of “sensations” which involve observing different parts and aspects of one’s body) is simply irrelevant for the discerning of the nature of an arisen phenomenon. It is misleading and obstructive, because it is impossible to engage in a technique without the implicit belief that a set of motions, that the chosen technique consists of, performed in a particular mechanical order, will somehow, by itself, reveal the nature of things. By holding this belief and faith in a technique, one will not be trying to understand things, and by not making attempts toward the understanding, one will definitely remain devoid of it. One sees things correctly – as phenomena – by understanding what the phenomenon is, and there is no technique that can make this magically occur. Thus, the closest to what one should do in order to obtain understanding is: trying to understand. For as long as a person is attempting to understand and see the nature of an arisen thing, that person might actually succeed in it, for it is certain that understanding cannot occur in someone who is not trying to understand. Incidentally (or not), there is never any mention of meditation techniques in the Suttas, but ‘understanding’ and ‘discernment’, as a way to reach the final freedom from suffering, is described and referred to countless times. When one looks at the experience mindfully, it becomes apparent that regardless of the content of the particular experience, the nature of experience is present. So, whether it is the experience of “impatiently-waiting-for-a-bus,” or the experience of tiredness after a physical exertion, or strange and novel experience of a powerful light that occurred in front of me while meditating on a seven -day technique-based meditation retreat, all I should be concerned about is that an experience is there and as such it needs to be understood.

This means that investing effort into meditation techniques is fundamentally a waste of time if one is concerned with understanding the Dhamma, and the most one can accomplish is relaxation, a sense of peace coming from withdrawal from the habitual world of senses, or – worse – fortification of the wrong views based on a misinterpretation of the nature of the novelty experiences. Either way, the results of any technique one might engage in, will remain worldly, and will draw its power from a temporary change of one’s environment, one’s usual way of regarding things. In any case, the “benefits” and “helpfulness” of a chosen technique will simply share the nature of a phenomenon of novelty that one is experiencing. As such, it means it will run out, and one will have to either do it harder, or change the technique. If people attend meditation retreats as a form of a temporary escape from the busy and oppressing world, by all means they should do it, as often as they can. However, rather than engaging in a practice of a technique and “sensation watching,” they would be better off using their quiet time in trying to understand the nature of things according to the way the Buddha described it, whether sitting, walking or lying down. For it is that “nature” which the Dhamma means and refers to, and anything that is not dealing with this, or anything that is obscuring that very nature (i.e. phenomena) of things, consequently is not the Dhamma, no matter how “helpful” and “useful” it might be. In different words, one’s experience is phenomenological (i.e. the five aggregates are all simultaneously present in their respective domains), and this means that nature of things comes first, before anything one does based on that nature. Doing a technique in order to practice the Dhamma (i.e. see the nature of things) is like exiting the house, so as to be in it. It’s a contradiction in terms.

Nyanamoli Bhikkhu

A Buddhist Monk at Kandy, Sri Lanka www.pathpress.org

Paul L

There are those who say you cannot help others, when you cannot help yourself.

Source : https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PhilippeSissan/posts/YvLKBGHmq6J? pid=6181390147682216034&oid=107400716330656888018

I say: helping others is helping yourself. Every breath we take, invites outside in, sends inside out, there is no distinction, no separation. Living in a hard shelled cocoon suffocates our souls, squashing our clinging hearts under mountains of things.

Stefan Thiesen

goddess rescuing sailors from tempests, as chaste girl and dutiful daughter sacrificing her own self as an expression of filial piety or as a tough and attractive young woman who doesn’t even chicken out of a physical confrontation if the need arises. By and large this member of the Buddhist family reflects the most desirable character traits for men: Courage, compassion and action. Kuan Yin hears the cries - and does what is necessary, encouraging us to do the same.

One of my Kuan Yin related discoveries in Hawai’i had been the poetry by Kathy Phillips. She is a poet, writer and professor of English at the University of Hawai’i. The following 3 Poems are

Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion Source : http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/kwan-yin.htm

republished with her permission and taken from her collection “This Isn’t a Picture I’m Holding: Kuan Yin” by Kathy Phillips, with

had been interested in Buddhism long before I had come to Ha-

photographs by Joseph Singer, University of Hawai’i Press, Hono-

wai’i in 1994, but at that time was completely unaware of the

lulu, 2004, and from “Bamboo Ridge - the Hawai’i Writers’ Quar-

Bodhisattva Kuan Yin. The westernized traditions as well as the

terly”, 4, 1989.

Zen of Taisen Deshimaru Roshi that I had been exposed to in Europe did not mention this variant of Avalokita that plays such a

Library Journal selected her book of, “creative non-fiction using Kuan Yin” (sic) titled “The Moon in the Water: Reflections on an

big role in eastern Asia, even in some regions transcending Maha- Aging Parent” for "Best Books of 2008.” yana and Theravada traditions. In Hawai’i on the other hand I found it impossible to escape the kindly spirited “hearer of cries”, Crack Seed as she greets the traveller in the most unexpected places and across the entire archipelago, provided the traveller mindfully wanders with open eyes. I talked with a friend today about the refugee situation in Europe and the ongoing man-made disasters of the world. Mankind has been struggling to find ethical guidelines for eons, and some tangible suggestions have been on the table for thousands of years. Whether we call them commandments, golden or silver rules, or precepts: Man’s strive for an answer to his own mental and moral shortcomings is as old as history - as is our seemingly endless chain of failings to live up to our self prescribed expectations. Taking care of our own mind. Overcoming fear. Having and showing - compassion for other living beings. Getting rid of childish cravings. Perhaps it is because ethically, morally, spiritually we, as a species, despite our big, swollen brain, still are young and immature.

The Bodhisattva knew with a shock that a certain glass jar (mislabled “crack seed”) contained human hearts. Their owners had put them (shriveled and clinging and soaking in brine) out to bid. Still darkly oozing the hearts vaguely remembered their days of plum sweetness. But mostly they hugged the sharp shards of the times they’d been broken. The bodhisattva made a huge purchase. Then she painstakingly picked and showed the hard hearts their still living center.

Kuan YIn Turns Her Photo Album to a Certain Point When pressed, Kuan Yin explains why she has not yet left the world. She shuffles to files, turns to a certain point, has to force a long look. It is a famous photo. Thousands saw the girl, who’d torn burning clothes from her napalmed body. the thin naked girl. the wide open mouth. “Quan Am,” she may have been screaming: Kuan Yin in Vietnamese. The girl would be twenty-five by now, and then forty-seven, and then sixty, if she survived; the photo doesn’t say. “She may still be looking for me. She may not be able to forget. She may ask me, why? I have unfinished business,” says Kuan Yin, packing her sparse bag with subtle salves. “How is it that some are able to say, ‘It is finished’?” © Kathy Phillips

Kuan Yin in Europe As she tread the cobbled alley, Rue de Trois Colombes, wide enough for three doves abreast, a drunk lurched past, flashing the fig hand. Fast as virtue draining, Kuan Yin caught his fist in her grasp, converting the bluster of the lost into the mudra of meeting. The doves fumbled affection by clamping one another’s beaks. It’s the best they could do in the eons of evolution before mammals’ soft lips. © Kathy Phillips

GREEN DEMONS Cheerful spirits dream along in nocturnal waves of the future, somewhere, near distant tropical islands. Money does not bother them, despite all that happened. But they do know well that this is not a joke! It is not a deep secret that we could have changed the world for good - but why do something, only because we could?

Psychopathic Lords wade through the shallows of our collective mind, for no other purpose but to joyfully fathom the abyss of pain. They would love to dance on my grave, but I just walk away, because I realized there will be no more dreams.

There is a time to firmly hold on to the pen and strike with bladed words like a Samurai charging his enemies. A time to live honestly and fearless and deprived of hope, admitting your guilt, admitting all that you did, and worse, perhaps, that you did not. Nobody can explain those things that silently collide in the darkness, forever changing the trajectory of compassion. Amidst the pitch black nothingness an insight passes, gently poking me like a friendly dog's wet nose, a gentle dream, suggesting with vanilla smell and the sound of a mermaids bell that one day even pain will come to an end.

But come here now. Sit down with me by the fire, you fools! And be it only for the sake of tradition, vaguely recalling those distant moments of happiness. Our silhouettes against the dying ember of the autumn sun. Heavy we breath and then we see them, smell them, those green little demons just outside the reach of our minds. Now they are not important anymore, because there is no reason to continue walking while you fall.

Mist rises in the cold light of a full November moon, and finally you let your resistance pass without remorse and pain. Once I used to be an expert for those things that come to us in dreams, and I do not think I was the first who saw the inevitable. Yet I still do hope that never will I see the setting sun without at least a maybe of tears, without at least a glimpse of faith that something could change, one day, before I become the same and like them will indulge in the kill and the hunt and the slaughter of beings and worlds as a game. Never before did I see the shattered pieces of my dreams spread out, sparkling splinters on the ground, and never did I understand the reasons. But now on this cold and misty morning after a full moon night, an apprehension rises within me, hot and heavy as liquid lead, that they might be resurrected, reborn in a much bigger, a different and as yet invisible form.

CC by SA 2.0 2001 Stefan Thiesen (republishing allowed, unchanged with contribution)

Futurist, Systems Analyst, Science Journalist, Writer, lives in Germany

Bodhi young on the street ... no one planted ...

full moon tops towering bamboo hanging lamp Source : http://hoangtuxitin.blogspot.com/2012/01/nhung-manh-oi-bat-hanh.html

living without regret religious belief

di dung

Attachment to one's view by thinking only one's view is right leads to suffering....

Move along with the flow... Without trying too hard but just enough

Going against the grain is difficult... It demands extra patience and willingness to bear the unbearable

Practice pause at intervals to get in touch with yourself and surroundings

Mulyadi Kurnia 52

a hermit dwells in a quiet grove: yet thoughts sensual, of ill will, thoughts of harm rise in him, in hours of solitude; to the hermit who left home for homelessness it is a conundrum; he thinks he is pure ...but is not; visits the Blessed One, seeks counsel;

"if a mind is not matured in its liberation; these five things lead to its maturation: ---good friends ---seeing danger in the slightest fault ---frequent listening to talk concerned with

fewness of wants,

on solitude, on contentment, on not getting bound up with others, on arousing energy, talk referring to wisdom, concentration and liberation ---being firm, and strong in exertion;

---being wise, developing the wisdom that discerns, arising and passing away based on conditions ie things arise due to conditions, and disappear as those conditions disappear. A nobility arises as one penetrates this truth, leads to the destruction of suffering"

So said the Blessed One.

Shantha Hulme

Special Guest

Any moment the swift hand of death May snatch the hopes and the fears Calmly silent and stealth It watches you respire.

Source : http://www.aboriginal-art-australia.com/aboriginal-art-library/aboriginal-dreamtime/

A ghost amidst ghosts, Wandering in the crowd, Devoid of substance,

How could I get lost, When there's no place in this world, Where to take residence. Source : http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/otagi-nenbutsu-ji-temple-rakan-sculptures

My name has drowned, In the motley sounds, Of the bustling streets,

And there's nothing I own, But the fleeting ground, Where lie my feet.

Fabien Todescato 54

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis

She who in pleasure and pain alike, Is dwelling equanimous, Who has broken through, The veil of conditioned existence, That sage, I say, Has quenched her thirst, Fabien Todescato

At the very wellspring of causation.

I too can make many bodies And touch the wellness Of the moon Take the form of a bird Pull the sky from end to doom For free from suffering Am I A daughter of the Thathagatha

This robe I had been stitching Thread by thread For aeons of lives This bowl I had been emptying More than the time Before the time ÂŠ Malintha Perera

And this is my last body I am A daughter of the Thathagatha

Malintha Perera 55

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis

Seeing her among

I cried for myself

A crowd of nuns

I cried for all beings

Someone pointed and told me

How can I go home

Her name in a run

With whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s undone

The lady who had lost everything

I had been carrying water

From family to parents

from a soulless river

And ran, delirious

Of pain that stunk

To the Sakyamuni.

Underground.

The wind blew across,

I went home

Her head was shaved

No more empty handed

There was nothing to ruffle,

Touched the feet of my dear beloved

No hair, No trace

Kissed my children

Only her robes at the edge

With extra tenderness

Just stilled and swayed

Became the river

They were sighing

The pot in pieces.

.....in ecstasy.

I urged closer, parted the crowd Wanted to touch her feet and bow I had been on my way with a water pot It fell in front of her Right to the ground.

She helped me gather The broken pieces A jigsaw fell into rightful places I looked at her and it was me I found

Source : http://www.thanksgod.in/the-story-of-theri-patacara/

On her iris Staring back at me.

Malintha Perera 56

A Tribute to the Bhikkhunis

On this auspicious occasion of the Binara Poya day, The Maha Pajapati Gotami approached the Buddha and requested, rather implored him to establish the Bhikkhuni Order. The Bhikkhuni is vital to the Dhamma. Her presence in the Sangha is the essence of the Sangha. The Teachings are replete with stories wherein the Bhikkhuni provides much help and much depth in the understanding of the Dhamma to kings, heads of States, womenfolk, , laypersons etc in the capacity of being their teachers, friends and well wishers. "So freed! So freed! So thoroughly freed am I -from my pestle, my shameless husband & his sun-shade making, my moldy old pot with its water-snake smell. Aversion & passion I cut with a chop!" Sumangalamata So says Sumangalamata, who was the wife of a hat and umbrella maker. Such a piece of strong writing in the 'Therigatha' has been emboldening women throughout the world who are familiar with Buddhist Literature and have been acquainted with the concept of a very different kind of liberation. The verses do not merely talk of the 'liberation' of women in a merely modern context but of liberation from craving and aversion. It is greatly inspirational to know that numerous former courtesans , beggar girls, grieving widows and mothers could have found emancipation in the dhamma and have helped hundreds and thousands of other women as well as men to attain their final goal during the time of The Buddha.

Source : sujato.wordpress.com

"Anyone who thinks 'I'm a woman' or 'a man' or 'Am I anything at all?' â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that's who Mara's fit to address" Soma Theri Such iconic verses made immortal by the Arahant Soma is certainly dhamma in its most natural and truest form. We also cannot forget the services of the great Arahant Sanghamitta to humanity after the Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha. The Contribution of these Bhikkhunis of the past to the Dhamma and the Sangha has been unsurpassed. The time has come for the Bhikkhuni of the present to be allowed to be given the same opportunities as the Bhikkhuni of the past. May all Women find total liberation. May all Beings find ultimate liberation. Verses quoted from the links below http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/khuddaka/therigatha/thig02.html http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn05/sn05.002.than.html

purvaa i 57

Slowly....... I moved slowly.... Moving my hand at turtle pace Shifting my butterfly fingers Watching light dancing on the river

I moved slowly...........

Bent down, breathing my breath ÂŠ Suresh Gundappa

Hearing rhythms of the river I lowered my lips to take a sip

Immediately......

Voice inside me said "Be careful!" "What? Why?" I reacted

That's it Moment of awareness drowned

Buddha evaporated

Oh!...Oh! Now I have to try again to enter the womb of silence.

Suresh Gundappa

Suresh Gundappa is an Investment Banker who manages an International Hedge fund. Former visiting professor at Stanford University, Suresh has been helping scientists and Universities across the Globe in researching more about Meditation. He often teaches Meditation to Lamas at Dalai Lama Monastery.

When I fall, The cushion catches me. Despite all obstacles, Life is vigorous wonder. Just sitting, The roaring rapids settle. Silence, illumination Shadows kiss the sun. Rising, falling What else is there? Surrender to the posture. This is pure repentance.

Thomas Fraser

under the strain and strife

that wise and true the real you

Lives and lives into aeon

may reach the water of life

echo ever after their distant rumble leads you on

Behind your eyes

you rush you stumble then you're gone

in stillness lies

so soon

a quiet pool of view

Longing for the farthest door

though fine and pure

silence ever after

it will endure

the oath you took to wage the war

whatever life ever knew

the fist you shook so high before the night you saw belied by the moon

The night we see belied by the moon alive again to sow a seed that we must know

Searching for the clearest light certain ever after the bodhi tree repels the night but all you see is spirits in their plight and dearth

Listening by the farthest door rising ever after the sun you grew the stars you wore recalling you they shine the lore of love and hope on all here on Earth

The stars that shine their promise on Earth alive again to sow a seed that we must know

So fine and pure it must endure

You

traveled by the faintest song learning ever after to nurse the flame to keep it strong to teach the fate of endings that are long begun

Leaving by the farthest door sacred ever after your final word was nothing more than waves we heard caress the shore you reached before you sailed for the sun

The shore we reach to sail for the sun alive again to sow a seed that we must know

alive again to sow a seed that we must know

Ulf Wolf

My body: my car doors welded shut

The Bible, Quran Pali Canon, the Vedas: So many words

Born and raised in Northern Sweden, lives in a nice cabin in California's Pacific North. He has written four novellas and a host of short stories (some of which I've published as collections). His work can be found at http://ulfwolf.com/blog/ Ulf Wolf 61

The waken trill shreds the stillness of the night. The gentle breeze rises to summon the dawn the longing of ones seeking its warmth. Caressed, the peepil leaves chatter with delight blind to those fallen in the night. The mist take wing from the tender golden shafts leaving a wake of whispers that spoke to my heart "Born be this day, pure, naked freed of fallen memories nor garbed in promises. Unbridled by destiny unshackled to the past Let it be this day that you are born anew. May your world burn bright with the marching Sun And may it depart to the depths of the night." These words drift with the wandering wind. "For thus another dawn shall be wombed in the dying breath of this day."

nandu menon

Indian. Health care professional . Lives in Middle East. http://pnmenon.wordpress.com

Stephanie Mohan Stephanie Mohan is a retired Change & Project Manager and Executive Coach who now lives in Sydney Australia enjoying a simple life. Blog http://grevilleacorner.wordpress.com 63

Loggerheads , mind riddled with dread Long gone this peaceful abound Myriad sentients adorned with samsaric frown Which cataclysm caused such dukka plethora Fervour spawned , resolve confirmed to the other shore destination confirmed

The path outlined by many a sage , determined am I to realize this bliss You are your teacher Dharma gates are plenty Abide abide in peaceful states of mind.

As a bee — without harming the blossom, its color, its fragrance — takes its nectar & flies away: so should the sage go through a village.

graeme russell ellis

Australian live in central victoria , refrigeration technician and run my own business. Practice the Dhamma and meditate and walk the path as best I can . 64

Blessed is he Who is without possessions For he fears not the thieves and sleeps well.

Blessed is he Who realizes the futility Of clinging... Clinging to things and beings Destroyed by decay and death

Blessed is he Who is full of compassion And does not cause grief To other living beings And is happy In such knowledge

Blessed is he Who, having sinned Realizes he has sinned And turns to wisdom!

Keerthi Withanarachchi

Book Review

Although writing a one page review on 'The Buddha' is difficult and largely limiting for me, nevertheless i would not hesitate to put forth some of my reflections in this space.

'The Buddha' by Dr. Trevor Ling is nothing short of a treatise, a masterful work on the social and revolutionary potential of Buddhism. He has in very lucid and simple English, without trying to please or displease any tradition, has put forth his extensive study in the most purposeful and useful manner. I would also highly recommend reading 'The Introduction' of 'The Buddha' by the prolific Dr. Paul Fleischman. It was on account of his enlightening introduction which heavily inspired me to read 'The Buddha' in its entirety. Dr. Fleischman gives a highly insightful approach to read the book, going in directions one would not traditionally wander into. I am deeply grateful to Dr Fleischman in this regard.

'The Buddha' not only restricts itself on the historical and philosophical aspects of the teachings but ventures into previously unchartered territories unapologetically and some times provocatively.

The book appeals both to the pedant as well as a lay person being deeply engaging, highly informative and inspirational. Thoughtful friends would find the book to be a pragmatic, effective and a hopeful study of Buddhism.

Dr Paul Fleishman says about Dr.Trevor Ling in his introduction to 'The Buddha' : " Forty years after he wrote the Buddha, his book emits tempered hope."

I agree.

Link to download 'The Buddha' http://store.pariyatti.org//Buddha-The--PDF-eBook_p_4652.html

purvaa i

The night has bleached the moon for the rain. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to retreat within, observing a fullness of a bloodless self on the brink of a cliff of stars. The sea stiches the waves in a chant and the soulless wind is like incense wafting the scent of the teachings reaching the shrine ÂŠ Nyanamoli Bhikkhu

for a resurrection inside a divine realm.

Dedicated to all monks on Rain Retreat (Vassa)

The clouds shatter into thousand suns distinguishing fires making way for three jewels

Vas is a retreat in the rainy season by Buddhist Theravada monks, where they do less travelling and concentrate more on their spiritual paths. This is a time of intense practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassa

out of made up ashes and the smoke crumples like sugar on a path trodden by sun nipped feet and be swept by robes where the saffron marks the formless moon into form.

Malintha Perera

The body is a Bodhi tree the mind is like a standing mirror always try to keep it clean don’t let it gather dust

Bodhi doesn’t have any trees this mirror doesn’t have a stand our buddha nature is forever pure where do you get this dust ?

dust has no place to land

If there is No bodhi tree No mirror bright If all is void Whence comes all the dust?

Brier

Mirrors are self made Thick with time The wind brings dust So the dust stays on glass No glass No mirror No dust no wind There is no colour in void Nothing stays

Malintha Perera

And yet The universe spins gently on Myriad dust specks Bumping into and out of contact Forming and unforming Colors and lives Whether we notice or not

Brier

Hard to notice In the dark Veils and veils Of netted shawls Yet A knife Can slash through, The glass cracks Light bursts and Empties

Malintha Perera

Brier

Malintha Perera

holding a self semi colons flight.

Malintha Perera

flight of the semicolons; a freedom, a flight, birds in the air, sad broken fence......

broken fence of freedom thorns of self taken flight...

Shantha Hulme

Michael Cannon

tightly sprung, attached; tension builds until the snap; in quick succession, life breaks free and the air is filled with wild harmony.

harmony of fluttering wing thorns transformed a self, holding nothing flies, freed.

Source : https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PhilippeSissan/posts/YvLKBGHmq6J? pid=6181390147682216034&oid=107400716330656888018

Stephanie Mohan

Michael Cannon

transcending solidity of metal; and the barbed wire thorn of anguish.. thro' these floats a being released; barbed wire, holds a scripture, a teaching.

a creeper of metal hooks my wire of reluctant ego unable to let go; piercing anything close to hold on;

then, non-resistance: relinquishing my desire to let go of my ego and letting go of the idea of letting go.. all inner struggle has come to an end;

Shantha Hulme

krishna mohan

Lucian Dantes

with solidity , mentality ceased freedom gained from self relinquishing all becoming barbed wire unbarbs

flows a river once a bird on the tree now it is the tree now it is the water

purvaa i

krishna mohan

unraveling delusion piercing coils released floating free empty sky of mind

Brier

let words crumble senses crushed perception crumpled let I and Eye die

krishna mohan

the clearest of diamonds softens the barb the emptiness of form melts through the mesh

nandu menon

once was clawed fence now open space, yawning wide the wings of freedom lilt and lift as the winds of change blow in

Stephanie Mohan

barbed wire, clawed fence and compassionthis is the secret recipe of beauty, as both form and emptiness are alike reflected into the eyes of the Awakened.

Malintha Perera

Shantha Hulme

Michael Cannon

krishna mohan

Lucian Dantes

purvaa i

Brier

nandu menon

Stephanie Mohan

ÂŠ Malintha Perera

http://www.buddhanet.net http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildfoxzen/ http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Zen.html The book 'The Atthakavagga' https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B23rm93gjiilUGlzOGhjZmNDUlk/view?usp=docslist_api http://wwzc.org/dharma-texts

(dedication of merits )

May all distresses be averted, May every disease be destroyed, May there be no dangers for you, May you be happy & live long. For one of respectful nature who constantly honors the worthy, Four qualities increase: long life, beauty, happiness, strength !