Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Poems for meditation (part I)

The Japanese Zen monk Hakuin (1685-1768)
has one of the most extreme descriptions of
the human conditions.

A black fire that burns with the obscure brilliance of a gem
dessicated the wide heaven and earth of their natural colour.
In the mirror of the mind one can see neither mountains nor rivers.
Billions of worlds in agony, all for nothing.

 
The last three words really mean: "without obtaining insight".
If this is not urgency ...

One can interpret leisure in two ways:

1. Wrong leisure: being lazy as a meditator etc.
2. Right leisure:

Sitting quietly, doing nothing.
Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.


(Basho, Zen monk, 1644-1694 )

(above taken from correspondence with Prof. Henk Barendregt in preparation of meditation Belgrade "Leisure and Urgency")

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