I’m forced to walk where my feet go
I’m forced to wonder on what I know
I’m forced to move by winds of mind
I’m forced to suffer, for I’ve been unkind
Tag: patience
Categories
Remain ordinary?
The earth movers are
moving, rolling, crawling,
pushing and prodding,
chewing and producing,
reforming earth, not new
a spherical cycle
we cannot seem to undo
because there’s no beginning
as if time isn’t true
no start to these effects
no one to lay cause-mic blame with —
— Is there no first?
If an action is not performed
its result cannot be experienced
yet, we have results upon results
that we do not want
or right wishes ripen at wrong times —
— How did we get so messed up?
Meeting instructions time and again
only to turn to worldly things instead —
–What for?
The status? The stress? The money? The dress? The food? The car? All the gold and the stars? The sun and the moon and that catchy tune? This silly girl? That handsome guy? To hunt the deer? To swat the fly? To fuck that guy? To steal that heart? To flaunt your glory? To meet and part? To taste the spoils? To lose at war? To break most promises? To endure and endure?
What for!
Is it everything you wanted to find?
Is it a wonder to know
it’s all from your mind?
the pain and the laughter,
all the dreamlike appearance
the senses and delights
the agony and fights
we hurt our own feelings
we stab our own backs
we rob our own purses
our own courage lacks
when will we learn
to break a silly curse
we need only three words
–why do they hurt?
It’s my responsibility
No, not of this time
not of this place
not of this name
and not of this face
But causes created aeons ago
ripen around me, blow by hard blow
some happy, some sad
some angry, some blue
some maddening disasters
some friends I once knew
for so long without wisdom
I watched in horror, despair
Oh! What can I do?
No better than an earth mover
moving, rolling, crawling,
fulfilling my own wishes,
pushing and prodding,
swallowing and producing,
making new dirt, not new
a spherical cycle
we cannot seem to undo
because there’s no beginning
as if time isn’t true
no start to these causes
that produce these effects
so with patient acceptance
I now practice with perfect intention
with a pure, faithful, trained mind
remembering dreamlike appearance
to see emptiness directly
with clear wisdom eyes
Categories
Delayed Gratification
I have promised patience
in exchange for a kingdom of happiness
I have promised patience
in exchange for an appearance of love
I have promised patience
in exchange for unattached enjoyments
I have promised patience
for you, so we can complete the path together
So I wait, like a princess in her tower
with patience, my Buddha nature I empower
I promised patience, and I wait for you
with faith unwavering, my heart is true.
To my Ex,
Thank you.
You have given me much I will cherish for years to come. Nothing I can keep in a box under my bed. No pictures to burn. Gifts far greater – ones I will carry with me life to life, like my pure love for you.
Patience.
Before I met you, it was rare to walk slowly through nature, and never would I think to name its parts. Waiting was a great torment. Sitting silent was near impossible. Then, you mixed your patient mind with mine.
Faith.
You challenged my beliefs constantly. A torture at the time, but such a gift to progress. This obstacle appeared to destroy our relationship, but served as a test I passed time and again. You helped me try each teaching until I had conviction in each one. I valued them more than temporary relationships. I would keep them at the cost of my life.
Love.
Though we did not know unconditional, we strove. I accepted love from you. And I found my happiness only in giving. For we can never take love for ourself from another. That will never cease suffering. Loving you has helped cease suffering. Loving all beings (even spiders) creates my happiness.
It is only in reflection that I can begin to understand that I was absolutely blessed by the Buddhas that my path be made meaningful and my travel swift. Thank you to Buddha, who appears as friend, family and foe to guide us from our misery.
If we can remember to apply the primary practice.
Thank you.
Love,
your Ex
The lid closed slowly —
it used to slam,
startling you
lots of loud noises
offended, scared you
one day, I saw
I had become a loud noise
now I’m quiet,
tamed and evenly tempered
my mind is trained,
practiced, wise
the very things you wished
by the very method you hated —
blessings.
I see the toilet seat
fall — slowly
silently
and wish blessings
upon you
still
Categories
Choosing Happiness | FF 6
The people I know that are the happiest are those that take life in stride and make productive choices no matter what’s going on. They benefit more as they show up for other people and their own self.
These people do not gossip and rarely blame others for anything. They understand that it is healthier to learn from people’s mistakes rather than waste time feeding the feelings of resentment or hate that may naturally arise.
They do not publicly share “poor me” or “why me?” attitudes. Perhaps that is because they understand how to transform even adverse events so they can perceive everything as always working out in their best interest.
What a wonderful way to live!
I wish everyone who is struggling develops the capacity to build and practice this type of outlook.
I understand, from personal experience, even if you are facing mental health problems, you still have more control over your mind than you realize. But you must take that control and practice good mental habits. Or you will forfeit control of your mind to someone else – whether that’s family, government, or the myriad of capitalist interests on social media.
Keep control of yourself. Keep your cool.
Choose happiness.
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Woman of Contentment
Drinking cold blackberry bubly
In the hot Himalayan-salted bath
In the apartment I rent
And listening to Nat King Cole
I belch loudly four times through the open window
Being a woman in the twenty-first century isn’t so bad
As long as I hold patience for people
And cherish the other that is not me.
The Halfwit Writer 