Do We Have a "Good Poems" Thread?

[knee tunes]

yes

[knee tunes]

I am awake. And clinging to my small life.

Occupied with tidying the house, and matters of finance

Steadfastly ignoring the flower of love that blooms in my heart.

Because her beauty is almost­ more than I can bear.

Occasionally, I summon the courage to look longingly at her before returning

to straightening the pictures of my life on the wall of my mind.

Amy Saltzman

[knee tunes]

Where are you now, my good friend? Are you out in the field, in
the forest, on the mountain, in a military camp, in a factory, at
your desk, in a hospital, in a prison? Regardless of where you
are, let us breathe in and out together, and let the Sun of
awareness enter. Let us begin with this breath and this
awareness. Whether life is an illusion, a dream, or a wondrous
reality depends on our insight and our mindfulness. Awakening is
a miracle. The darkness in a totally dark room will disappear
the moment the light is switched on. In the same way, life will
reveal itself as a miraculous reality the second the Sun of
Awareness begins to shine.

Our relationships with one another
are like the chance meeting
of two strangers in a parking lot.
They look at each other and smile.
That is all there is between them.
They leave and never see each other again.

That is what life is--
just a moment, a meeting, a
passing, and then it is gone.



If you understand this,
then there is no time to fight.
There is no time to argue.
There is no time to hurt one another.



Whether you think about it in terms of humanity, nations,
communities or individuals--
there is no time for anything less
than truly appreciating the brief
interaction we have with one another.



--Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche