there is

nothing,

repeat

nothing

so blessed,

so sacred

as relinquishing self

and

awakening...

similarly

there is

nothing,

repeat

nothing

so perplexing,

so arduous

as relinquishing self

and awakening...

and yet

simple and

straightforward

is this path;

once the basics

have been mastered

once faith restored...

it is but a small step

to sit still,

yet

a giant leap into

the unknown -

reaching glorious intimacy

with Eternal truth..

who knows how

to  ‘let go?'

contrary to

all tenets of

western rationalism,

this ‘belittling

of self...'

we have come to worship

at the altar

of personal power

physical and mental.

yet it is these very dearly held beliefs

that are the

obstacle to

true awakening...

oh fellow travellers!

listen carefully

to the rhythm of your breath,

to the inexorable

pulse of your heart,

be guided selflessly

by the intimacy of your immediate

surroundings,

judge not,...

think not,

be Still!

I grant you

compassion, wisdom and love

will burst forth

as a tsunami

of joy and ecstasy...

throw yourself into this abode,

take no man's word...

sit still -

Be still.

with bows..

if I take the time,

words emerge:

 sublime..

*

when I make the pace,

manifesting taste..

*

deviate not  from truth,

[living on the hoof.]

*

strange as it seems,

love spills forth -

in reams..

*

aching to perform,

making the grade,

displaying ‘certitude',

declaring "fit

for purpose.."

*

these things are basically

sound..

*

seldom found,

gone to ground..

*

[nothing is ever

out of place.]

*

seldom

losing face..

*

no need to

make haste,

*

belief in oneself!

finding the ace -

*

in your life,

forever!

*

and forever

spliced

with vigour,

attitude

and grace..

*

cascading like

a veritable

Niagara,

 the mind's eye

disgorges life's

hopes fears

and disappointments

as so much

litter upon

the debris that is my

conscience and belief..

*

at the same moment,

joyous, irritated,

resigned,

determined,

*

the unfettered ambition to hold sway

‘gainst all prevailing

fortune or otherwise,

manifest..

*

gratitude accompanies

every waking moment

as the road of steel

partners the rolling stock

of travel..

*

ambition melts into surrender,

disgrace softens

its granite face

and unlocks the vault of harmony..

*

unable to stand aghast,

not finding favour in grief,

tagging along with mirth,

the seasons roll by,

sweetening the flavour

of dusty, empty streets..

immersion in emptiness

is akin to drinking in love's

aftertaste

unable to hold on gracefully,

abandoning all pretence

at understanding

and knowledge,

*

acquisition of which

causes only burden to life's

sweet passage,

*

the silence of joy

screams across the savannah

of my imaginings

murky rainforests

of boredom elbow their way into

the frame

smelling,

rank, the stench of disheartedness

casting a gloom over proceedings..

*

always, however,

the resurgence of peace and tranquillity

emerging triumphant,

heralding a bright new dawn,

ravaging negativity

banishing self -

scurrying for cover like so much vermin

the sweet soul music of

dissolution and unattachment to anything

in particular..

*

so be it.

*

~*~

sitting

perfectly still

*

there is then

only This

*

the very beginning, middle

and end

*

together entwined,

centred

*

no coming, going

 seeking

 wanting

*

letting go

all aspiration,

goodness

wickedness

 judgement

suspended

*

the breath

Is

nirvana

*

in - gathering

assimilating

cherishing embracing

*

out - dissolving

letting go

empty, bright

*

no waiting

resting

thought

balanced supremely

betwixt

here and there

in - again

out - again

*

timeless

timbre less

soundless

full mind

empty mind

is

as It is

~*~

*

*

is it we,

or the world

that is

filled with hope?

is it us,

or the world

that lives in despair?

 looking forth our shadowed frame,

is it love radiating

or is it pain?

eternal wanderings

back and forth;

rarely settled -

seeking truth

or merely

solace?

 gentle sun filters

silent golden rays

through

multi-layered shades of

natural colour;

mesmerising thought...

is

it within or without?

wondering why

with child-like eye,

ageless fascination,

gaze turned to sky..

never too late

to chase dreams

of peace and redemption..

thanking powers that be for the

grace of Awareness

and the facility of

silent gratitude..

unanswerable questions

litter my path,

lighten my load,

through

mysterious

open-ended

Presence,

insights

unfold.

*

how difficult it is

to let go of

our cherished, hard won

viewpoint.

a lifetime to cultivate:

‘experience the great teacher'

subliminally nothing

ever forgotten...

yet the great masters

deny the efficacy

of erudite realisation.

indeed they all affirm

that

the fountain of acquired

knowledge is the

final and immense barrier

to awakening.

Dogen Zenji: "to

study the self is to

 forget the self."

how do we

forget ourselves?

this very notion seems

to run counter-intuitive to

our very nature of survival.

yet who, on reflection

ever came to radical understanding

without ‘letting go' of

self-direction?

no, we must admit, we must submit

to a deeper truth

the grasp of which is way beyond

intellectual comprehension.

how many

 of us are prepared

 to commit

to a self-evident truth

that requires

a huge dose of

humility,

sacrifice and acknowledgement

of our fundamental surfeit

of erudition?

only those who have come close to

 emotional and

metaphysical annihilation

I imagine.

it takes a fundamental shift

 in life experience

to give up our cherished

self-belief

when faced with

horror, catastrophe

or similar dissolution

of common-or-garden

disaffectation.

or maybe just a

gradual erosion

of tolerance for our embittered

situations that lead

us spirally to the edge

of extinction without

a glimmering of joy.

ponder these thoughts,

good advice

friend, and then

 awakening is yours

 for the duration..

with bows.

*

now,

a clearer world,

a fresh approach.

sunlight has never

shone like this

before,

out of the ashes

of yesterday's

pain,

emergent joy,

triumphant

again.

forgiveness

is a blessing;

doth

warrant bestowal

upon our tenuous

sense of self.

time and again

and time

and again,

relinquishing fears,

absorbing pain.

these sentiments

never loosen their hold

‘pon

translucent frame.

now,

a clear world,

a fresh approach.

sunlight has never

shone like this

before,

out of the ashes

of yesterday's

pain,

emergent courage,

triumphant

again.

*

*

what does it mean

to be ‘whole?'

how do we learn to

find completion?

what motivates us to find

 true expression?

increasingly

these enquiries gnaw

away at me.

daily I confront

existential reality

and discover

urgency.

action is needed

words and thoughts

mere catalysts.

which actions provide

meaning?

is it enough

to bear silent witness

to the cruelty and

waste perpetrated

by so many?

how do we redress

embedded imbalances?

having no answers is real

we cannot expect to know.

we can, however,

live responsibly.

strive to know ourselves,

practice Mindfulness

and tread carefully

amidst the chaos and

apparent futility

of our journey,

ending as it does

without

closure.

 actions of living in inherent truth

so vitally important.

there is peace and closure

 within

and without.

we need only

listen fully to

the silence within Being

to discover right action

and

be:

 WHOLE

*

with bows