Sunday February 6
*
A glimpse to
whence
the leading light of my long day
slight gentle beautiful determined bright one
has made her way
she firmly alone firmly herself
leaving silent bright affirmation
beneath the open sky
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 way along the Mekong
from Tsakalho
to a place where a small inn
sits beside the road
to rest in the quiet town
of Hongshan
Thence along Mekong Da Chu
to where once again we stand
high above water below
thence on south to Jol
upon the way to look
toward where the great rivers
of ice move as living things
down among the mountains
of Kawa Karpo
Once Yeshe Tsogyel Padmasambhava
made there way among the
lofty peaks and sat in silent
contemplation within their depths of stone
through winter storms that tore the rock
from the heights to crash it
upon the ice below
and looked out upon the glistening
new formed leaves unfurling in
the azure sky
as the drip of snowmelt above
the mountains maw spoke amid
the sound of birds of the
arriving spring
Many were to follow
to this place that then became
the very embodiment of buddha speech
the sound of voice so raised
to bring benefit to all that lives
among them wanderers
from Katok of Nyimgma fame
upon the hill
of the wondrous beast
the eight footed lion
there to establish wondrous edifices
where sonorous chants echoed out
and windows glowed brightly
flashing from the stone
with the golden glow of yak butter lamps
toward great vast open expanses
of towering rock above
And far across the rocky heights
and shadows long
in the humble splendor of Tsawarong
Vairocana Nampar Nangtze
Buddha wondrous imparted wisdom
that granted swift escape
from emotions that give rise to actions
that bring misery to living things
to create emotions in them
that give rise to then more actions still
anguish that goes on and on
He a buddha a peerless one of buddha families five
who when seen the inner sight
smiles gently as with firm grasp he holds
a wheel within his hands
it to symbolize
the way through pain
that his teaching brings
perhaps it was he who quietly
greeted a small group of souls
climbers of the lofty heights
that were lost in recent times
in the mountain storms
upon the rocky crags
their bright clad forms
frozen in mortal immobility
not in incarnation this to return
to China and Japan
from whence they intrepid came
he to welcome them
and guide their way
to their next existence
in the world of material form
his gentle words to them
to ring within their souls
within you is the spark
of the wondrous mind
that reaches beyond the reach of pain
you can rise to this lofty place
you will someday be
at summit of realization
free and vast
like me
A quiet patient time apart
even when not seen
still gentle heart's vision
And so, we share this time together
slight gentle one
as we rest easy
as our plan grows
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
and so we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
February 3
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.