Sunday May 30
*
A glimpse out
to the leading light of my long day
patiently making her way
slight gentle beautiful determined bright one
firmly alone firmly herself
to quietly remind me
that not so far away
for she I we two
our warm and bright
future day
and to her then to say to tell
of the quiet strain as I work
to unearth the Tenger's gift to us
among the horsetail and jewelweed
with the multiflora arcing down
as did the rainbow
in wondrous emanation
from this sacred place
where the sound of the glimmering stream
and the birds song
and the rustling leaves in the wind flow together
in a gentle melody
And of another sound
that of rattling stones
clinking down from rocky trail
high upon the Zhung la pass
and labored breathing
from the solitary figure
hastening to a place of refuge
beside the flowing waters
of the Tsi-chu
he who had killed a King
Months before in a cave glowed
sacred light of butter lamp
a monk sat in silent contemplation
upright toward the heavens
as the shaft of an arrow
Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje
gazing with his inner sight
upon his meditation deity's face
Tara wondrous Goddess of Compassion
his concentration
one pointed but for
the cares which disturbed
the serenity of his mind
moving about his thoughts
as dry leaves upon stone
courtyard in the cold of
autumn wind
No ordinary cares these
to disturb such a tranquil mind
the cries of beings tortured
the fires of great learning places burned
and compassionate put to the sword
at the temple walls
to make way for the slaughter of animals
to be hung from the figures of sacred deities
in the temple Johkhang
For the King Langdarma now ruled
and as is the case
so oft
when matters of spirit
become matters politic
persecution reigned
To him she spoke
this your labor this must you do
remove this apostate King
from his throne of death and woe
To her then his troubled reply
But how could this be our way
to take lives such as this
most gracious one
what of my practice what of me
what the fate of my wisdom mind
surely I shall fall to a tormented fate
reserved for the unclean
forever to stumble in barren lands
as a hungry ghost
or to scream in anguished pain
in the hells for eons
before release
In infinite compassion gazed she on him
in silence then he knew
the choice was his to make
To in action spare the world
the loss forever of a sacred faith
and anguish to beings beyond number
then to face uncertain fate
the tormented loss
of all that he had sought
in this wondrous incarnation
when sought he the teachings
of Lord Buddha
Or to remain secure here
in this quiet place unknown
unseen surely to attain enlightenment
with no conflicts for his attention
as others perished among the flaming rubble
of temples torn
asunder
His choice known
even to this day
for it is said
in ninth century
a black arrow streaked across
palace courtyard in a summer's night
unerring in flight
swift as light
to the heart of apostate King
a tyrant's life ended
a land plunged into chaos
but a faith saved
Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje to switch
his garments inside out
darkest black for glowing white
in haste to flee the certain death
To this cold pass on the mountain heights
struggling down from this rocky place
yet in his mind sure already
his mind doomed but for long penance
in hopes for rebirth in a miserable state
but at least still human
still the chance to come again
to the wondrous teaching
that he surely had forsaken
to the Tsi chu that flows to Dza chu
the Mekong in Tibetan land of Kham
a grieving heart to rest
in a place where temple now stands
Rabshi Lungsho Ganden Chokhorling
Of his fate
his future incarnation is not known
but from history comes a suggestion
Seven hundred years went by
Drukpa Kagyu practitioners made their way
escaping to build their temples
to find ease and peace and freedom
as Bon, Nyingma, and Sakaypa did
Eight hundred years passed
Mongol armies of Gushi Qan came
in a rush of horses steel fire arrows
ransacking everywhere they went
to convert the Kagyu Buddhist faith
yet here in this place
somehow against all odds
it survived
A millennia to 1949
when P.L.A. Chinese army marched
armed with fiery death from tramping feet
and roaring in the sky somehow
this place escaped
the destruction of lands about
Look beautiful one
at those rolling fields
of grass beneath the mountain light
and wondrous cliffs
with so many places
of wisdom here and there
Perhaps the outstretched hand
of Tara the protectoress
emanation of infinite compassionate mind
forever reaches here
as it perhaps it did over
the grieving huddled figure
exhausted weeping misery
on desolate mountain top
to gently say
your intent good
your obedience complete
your life your path your mind
is spared
this your place of refuge on this earth
ever sacred now to me
All this not so wonderful
to my straining eyes
as your determined beauty
and uplifted gentle dignity
that endures with patient grace
this that I see in you
beneath the open sky
on this mid afternoon
of our spring of working and waiting
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
and so we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
May 26
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.