...Cranes in the wilderness, lonely clouds - their

destination is uncertain:

Where in the world am I to address my deepest

thoughts?...

Betsugen Enshi

from

Zen Poems

July's Buck Moon setting over Albuquerque 

 

 

The mountain I live on

nobody knows

inside the clouds 

it's always deserted

Cold Mountain

from 

The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain

Unkindness from the wise

is better than the kindness of the ignorant

The Prophet said, "Enmity from wisdom

is better than love which comes from a fool."

Rumi

 

...When the treadmill of life and death stop

each rebirth gets more confusing

until we discover the jewel of our mind

we're like blind mules following our feet...

Cold Mountain

from 

The Collected songs of Cold Mountain

 

 

For an image of life and death

consider ice and water

water freezes into ice

ice melts back into water

what dies must live again

what lives is bound to die

ice and water don't harm each other

both life and death are fine

Cold Mountain

from 

The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain

Today's morning mountain walk. Life and death.

Why am I so troubled 

life is a one-day mushroom

what good is another decade

with friends and family gone

thinking of this makes me sad

and sadness I can't bear

what then do I do

entrust myself to the hills for good

Cold Mountain

from

 The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain

Scenes from my garden

 

 

the people I see in the world

walk dazed in the dust of the road

they don't know where they are

or how to find the ford

their bloom lasts how many days

their loved ones aren't close long

even if I had a ton of gold

I'd rather be poor in the woods

Cold Mountain

from

The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain