2.4
February 21, 2011

Facing Death In Every Moment.~ February 21st.

“The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh (The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching)

Water Is To A Wave, What…

In a world that is flowing,
Without coming or going,
Water begets a wave,
In a world that was never made.

Being of the ocean,
A wave but water in motion,
In essence not two but one,
Just like Father and Son.

Forgetting its source,
The wave sets a new course.
Having consumed the fruits of the sea,
The wave proclaims, “Not water but me!”
Intoxicated by this divisive potion,
Paradise is replaced by commotion.

A frozen wave in a melting sea,
I have forgotten how it use to be.
Chaos has been ushered in,
So I die again and again.

Searching for a plot of dry land,
A place where I can stand.
Motivated solely by gain,
Everything is either pleasure or pain.

Bored to death with that and this,
I begin to compile a list.
I get to be tall,
When compared to small.
He is wrong so I am right,
Everything is so black and white.

No longer water disguised as a wave,
I am an alien in a world that I have made.
The world of water now absurd,
I have become an island of words.

Dried up and dead,
All has been said,
But the pain still comes,
As this heart never goes numbs.

Just as water is always wet,
The hearts course is eternally set.
Sensitive and free,
Never ceasing to be,
This island has sprung a leak.
In silence the heart will forever speak,
Forever and ever calling to the sea.
Like a trickling spring,
Pouring forth from within,
This wave sings and sings,
A song without beginning or end.

Around and around,
Around me,
The water spins around.
Crashing and crashing,
The waves come crashing down.
As waves rush upon the shore,
I retreat to the center,
It becomes denser,
Collapsing at the core.
The island caves in,
Sending out waves for days on end.
Rising and falling,
Again and again,
Until all is settled,
No more pot- No more kettle.

The flood has come,
The island is gone,
All is done,
The heart is home.

Just as water begets the wave,
Silence is the mother of noise,
And by this void,
I am called by my true name.

poem by Benjamin Riggs

Elephant 365 is an example of Elephant Journal’s commitment to the Mindful Life. Everyday we will offer a new reading regarding meditation practice and the spiritual path, all infused with a fresh perspective on traditional spirituality. If you would like to follow Elephant 365 on FaceBook click here and become a fan of Elephant Meditation by clicking the “Like” tab at the top of the page.

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