“We will meet at the source of each moment, and we will meet again in different forms of life.” Dear Thay, In deep gratitude for meeting Thay and the Plum Village Sangha. Thay, it has been some time since you passed away. Still, your memory remains more alive than ever. I still remember the morning […]
nature
Snow in the Spring Time
Haiku # 1 Snow falls from the skyThe calendar says it’s SpringThe snow does not care Haiku #2 Planning my gardenPrepping the soil to plant seedsSnow ruins my pans Haiku #3 Winter snow is funI enjoy it every yearSpring snow… not so much Support Our Dharma Work
How to Learn from Nature
Living among snakes in the wilderness taught me about the value of mindfulness and how to apply it to different situations in life. Part of living in the wild requires an understanding of how to co-exist peacefully with other beings like snakes. One of the first things that I learned about snakes was their tendencies […]
Why is Nature Peaceful?
On a bright, moon-lit night, while walking back to my kuti in a forest in Thailand, I spotted a huge scorpion that had come out of hiding from under a rock. Out of curiosity, I pointed my flashlight directly at it for a moment, then continued to walk the path back to my resting place […]
Why Does the Mind Run Wild?
From being out in the wilderness, I’ve awakened to the reality of how fragile life is in all its form. During the day, I’ve seen bears cause deer and squirrels to flee into hiding. At night, I’ve heard the cries of hungry coyotes and wolves. As one of my teachers once said, the images used […]
Fire Haiku
1. Light a bonfireQuickly, write down all my sinsToss them in the flames 2. Do not get too closeFire burns through flesh and boneBut stay close enough 3. Winter is so coldThe snow gets deeper each dayA fire would be nice Support Our Dharma Work
Let It Rain
I heard the crack of thunder as it whipped across the sky and prepared myself for the downpour to come. I was sitting cross-legged in a tiny wooden kuti that was nestled among the tall trees and rugged rocks on land that was part of a remote forest monastery in Northern Thailand. As I sat […]
Atammayata
Birth and death, love and hate, the burnt scent of cloves on fingers and campfire on jeans, nothing is attached for long. In the butter soft leather light of purple fog, a royal procession of swans announce themselves.Not made of that, the lake is restless for now George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, […]
River Teach Me
Inspired by a sacred Ute prayer River teach me changeas falling leaves decompose in the formless current River teach me hopeas the source and end, both come from mountains River teach me how to get lostas two young lovers walk along your bank not needing to be found River teach me how to savor the […]
Looking Out From Stony Island
Carve out my tongueI will taste your wind Slice off my earsI will hear your waves Gouge out my eyesI will see your red sun setting Tear off my fingertips I will touch your stones For I do not need the presence of your solemn grandeur as it perishes along a silent lakeshore In the ashes of our ancestors inside […]