Sunday November 9
*
A rise into cold afternoon
beneath the open sky
a glimpse up across the space
to the light of my long day
the slight gentle patient
beautiful one
And to her then to silently say
to tell
of a starfilled night
great open vastness
where a mind seeks through the darkened space
it peers along the great dark crags
of frozen Gephel Utse above West Dekyi Lam
then poring for a moment over scrolls in
largest spiritual learning place
upon the earth
called Drepung
where twenty thousand came
from the seats of many nations
But it abides not there
it rises goes beyond
to the center of all things
where past and future meet
to return
out of Drepung
past the great ridge
then not quite a mile to
a quiet sacred place
where stands a small temple
with lion flanked stairway
and a grove of fruit and juniper tree
giving sacred smoke and sustenance
As the light rises
to return to a tree
that grows beside the chapel
to wait for its oracle,
the oracle of Nechung
the human through which it speaks
to tell of future unknown
to the leaders of Tibet
a deity of protection
that came so long ago
to share the struggle of Tibetan life
and it’s name is called Pehar
It was not always so
once it served the nation of Zahor
then Kingdom of Batahor
and then Tibet
But it abode not so well there
and was sent in a casket
into the freezing torrent
of the Kyi-chu river
to escape as a winged dove
that flew to the tree
that became it’s resting place
On the day the Dalai Lama sat
in a time of doubt and turmoil
his people rallied about his gates
to place their lives before
the instruments of hate
of an implacable enemy
And in the darkened space
the oracle rose and paced
to speak in tongue so ancient
in missives to be translated
by the learned
and written on long boards
full of dusty lime
And then a stern bold anguished cry
“Go, go now!”
So then he left
over the mountains
into exile
to bring a world a message
of peace and understanding
and a people’s hope
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
for now we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
November 5
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.