snow falling at night

snow falling at night
big, wet, heavy flakes come down
silent as our ghosts

waiting for snow

cold and dark morning
waiting for the coming storm
and a white Christmas

What the dying artist said

There is no one thing
that is true.
It is all true.

What Shunryu Suzuki said

"the most important thing
is to find out
the most important thing"

after Foyan

hungry ghosts attacked
stole his body so he told
his guru "I'm free!"

no students

they are not students
they are just silly people
who hang around here

stirring

stirring up the bees
for the thrill of finding out
what happens this time

Buddha on Acceptance

Buddha said: "Events happen,
deeds are done,
but there is no doer thereof."

Suffering in Heaven

Extroverts' Heaven
would be hell for introverts
too many angels

Meaning & music

What is the meaning
of Beethoven's symphonies?
Alan says listen!

What Shankara said

That which is the ground
of knowledge is not its object.
Fire can’t burn itself.

asleep?

Abstraction by Peggy L Radcliffe

where were you when you
were asleep? where would you be
if you'd been awake?

welcome to groundlessness

the earth opens under your feet

and you recall Buddha's First Noble Truth

The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, stress)

and you wonder why is Buddha smiling

dreaming about a sleeping cat

you wake up this morning
after dreaming about a sleeping cat
who is dreaming that he is you
dreaming about a sleeping cat

NOT Buddha

NOT Buddha nature
important to acknowledge
because that is knot

every story has two sides

every story has two sides
you laugh and cry
and the earth abides

north wind

cold north wind blowing
colorful leaves off the trees
winter coming soon

he can't sing

he can't sing
and you can't hear
nothing to do
but go out for a beer

Remembering Dylan

"no connection home
like a complete unknown
like a rolling stone"

What's it all about when it's not about you?

Student: It's all about me.

Zen master: you don't exist.

Student: So what's it all about?