POEMS FOR TODAY

Here is a parable of the Buddha, parallels to which we would find in all the world's spiritual traditions. The Buddha comes to a town, where he is reviled by a jealous man, who follows him on horseback, jeering at him. The Buddha continues walking, seemingly ignoring the man. When he reaches the next street, the man taunts him again. This continues for some time. Finally, the Buddha turns to the man and asks him, in words to this effect, if someone is offered a gift which they refuse, then what happens to the gift? The man realized that it goes back to the sender, who would then receive all the ills they were sending to another.

A person can learn to be mindful of their anger, and choose not to expend it, like scorpion which loses interest in striking and lowers its stinger. Such a frame of mind would result in one not transmitting suffering to another being. Further, if people realize that their anger toward others impede their own spiritual development, they could learn to let the anger go. When people refuse to pass them along, anger and conflict will be given their well earned rest from their all too active role in human history. And then, a more evolved human respone to negative emotions can proceed, along the upward spiral of awareness, detachment, equanimity and compassion.

from When Terrorists Camp on the World
....

Seed forms of hate and rage
     keep being born and blown about.
Tracked everywhere,
     they stick best to bloody wounds.
Seed forms of hate
     sprout as deadly spores.
Ancient tribes,
     still alive today,
Resuscitate plagues of antiquity,
     with 21st century technology.

From this mating dance
     of science and hate,
Come flames, diseased spores,
     chemical wars,
And plagues that float
     like feathers,
But stick
     like leeches.
...

Fear and hatred,
     will these twins descend like night
And slowly chew up
     the light of day?

Or will cries and curses
     be hushed
In a rush of energy
     from uplifted wings,
The wings of the great being,
The Spirit of Peace?
...

Let us throw our hatred back
     to the last century,
Like an old bone
     from our pre-history.
...