A Collection of Zen Poems

One of my Own:

Shallow seas open
Expanding the mind
thought leaves
emotions abate

all is quiet
now I can ((see))

Jen Park

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In this way and that I have tried to save
the old pail
Since the bamboo strip was weakening and
about to break
Until at last the bottom fell out.
No more water in the pail!
No more moon in the water!

-Chiyono's enlightenment poem,
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, 1957, p. 31
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This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.

- The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

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Everything
just as it is,
as it is,
as is.
Flowers in bloom.
Nothing to add.

- Robert Aitken, Roshi, As it Is

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The body is the tree of enlightenment,
The mind like a clear mirror stand;
Time and gain wipe it diligently,
Don't let it gather dust.

- Shenxiu

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Two come about because of One,
but don't cling to the One either!
So long as the mind does not stir,
the ten thousand things stay blameless;
no blame, no phenomena,
no stirring, no mind.
The viewer disappears along with the scene,
the scene follows the viewer into oblivion,
for scene becomes scene only through the viewer,
viewer becomes viewer because of the scene.

- Seng-ts'an, 600
Hsin-Hsin-Ming: Inscription on Trust in the Mind
Translated by Burton Watson
Found in Entering the Stream, p. 149
Edited by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn

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Step out onto the Planet.
Draw a circle a hundred feet round.
Inside the circle are
300 things nobody understands, and maybe
nobody's ever seen.
How many can you find?

- Lew Welch
From What Book, 1998, p. 124
Edited by Gary Gach

How Emotions can Effect Reasoning -words by the Dalai Lama

"Control negative emotions through reasoning"
By e-mail[Thursday, March 08, 2007 15:58]
Thousands of devotees gathered at the Tsuglakhang (Main Temple) to listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings from the Jataka tales.

The Tsuglakhang courtyard was packed with devotees comprising of both Tibetans and non-Tibetans. There are many Tibetans from Tibet among the crowd.

His Holiness spoke on the importance of training our mind. His Holiness explained how negative emotions like anger, attachment and ignorance cause problems and unhappiness to all the sentient beings because we can't see and think when we are covered by these negative emotions and ultimately they lead to violence. These are our real enemies and it is within us.

He said that these negative emotions arise because we don't control or train our mind. "We cannot do that by offering prayers. Rather it can be done through reasoning. If we could train our mind and develop positive mental attitude such as compassion, then it would help oneself as well as the other beings. It will also help us in this life as well as in our next life. As we all believe in religion, we have to be compassionate all the time in good as well as in bad times. Thus, through reason we can train our mind.

"And for that, we need wisdom and knowledge to differentiate what is right and what is wrong and what are the things we have to adopt and what have to be dropped. That is why it is important to study the teachings of the Buddha", His Holiness said.

His Holiness emphasized the importance of studying even if we are dying tomorrow. He related that to the old people in jest and made every audience laugh.

Speaking on the various religions, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that all the religions in the world are for our benefit. They help us in solving problems though with different approach. All the religions conveys same message of love, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance etc.

**I am experiencing some harsh life events due to negative emotions by others. How can we not have them in our lives, but one has to step back and see the whole picture
and realize the implications. I have also written a paper for my psychology class
this semester and found this article very interesting and so very true to my belief.