Ending

Ending ... not the end

 

Choice

Choice ... always enabled 

Catch ...

Catch ... Caught ... a consciousness

 

Certainty

Certainty ... not even beauty is

 

Spot-on

Spot-on ... not the end

 

Fearless

Fearless ... where lies the heart

 

Dominance

Dominance ... it takes two

 

Path

Path ... and paths

 

Balance

 

Balance ... evolve

Ending

Ending ... and alone again ... hardly the end

 

Shell

Nothing, nothing at all
  is born,

dies, the shell says again

  and again,

from the depth of hollowness.

  Its body

swept off by tide - so what?

  It sleeps

in sand, drying in sunlight,

  bathing

in moonlight.  Nothing to do

  with sea

or anything else.  Over

  and over

it vanishes with the wave.

Shinkichi Takahashi

(1901-1987)

Dream

Reality ... where dreams are too

 

In this world of dreams,

drifting off still more;

and once again speaking

and dreaming of dreams.

Just let it be.

Ryokan

(1757-1831)

Distraction

 

Distraction ... all's not lost, yet

The myriad differences resolved by sitting, all doors opened.

In this still place I follow my nature, be what it may.

From the one hundred flowers I wander freely,

the soaring cliff - my hall of meditation

(with the moon merged, my mind is motionless).

Sitting on this frosty seat, no further dream of fame.

The forest, the mountain follow their ancient ways,

and through the long spring day, not even the shadow of a bird.

Reizan

(d.1411)

Dominance

 

Dominance ... when speed is inconsequential

Four and fifty years

I've hung the sky with stars.

Now I leap through - 

what shattering!

Dogen

(1200-1253) 

Present

 

Present ... to or not to

Mountain dwelling

Things of the past are already long gone
and things to be, distant beyond imagining.
The Tao is just this moment, these words:
plum blossoms fallen; gardenias opening.

Ch'ing Kung

(d.1352)