Monday, April 5, 2010

The Buddha's last Instruction - April 5, 2010



"Make of yourself a light,"
said the Buddha

before he died...

No doubt he thought of everything

than had happened in his difficult life.

And then I feel the sun itself

as it blazed over the hills,

like a million flowers on fire-

clearly I'm not needed,

yet I feel myself turning

into something of inexplicable value.

Slowly , beneath the branches,

he raised his head.

He looked into the faces of that frightened crowd.

The face of Buddha is like the sun that moves across the sky. Both help us in our primate minds know our inherent worth and dignity, know that it matters what we do, and known that it is a blessing we were born. You also tell us as you rise above the horizon that we are not needed. How scary is that! Yet, dear, Sun, you turn us into something of inexplicable value, and if we dance as well as we are able with you, we can more greatly reflect the light that is the divine in all existence.

If you were dying and a crowd gathered around, what would you say to them?

3 comments:

  1. I could only add to what you have already said. I would continue the most meaningful words we use. Your understanding of the divine is true. And most importantly, "You don't have to go it alone."If a crowd gathered one would think that would be obvious, but it isn't. It needs to be said.

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  2. T says that she thinks this is the hardest question you have asked so far!

    Once again, my answer is "nothing", but then I read Sally's comment, and it's so true that everything true must be said, again and again, we never finish with saying truth. Feeling that I am nothing feels actually feels like growth - I guess because losing our boundaries enlarges us...

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  3. I am so enjoying reading the comments from you both, and the occasional others that pop up here. I'm thinking of Sally saying "it must be said", this phrase that haunted the Buddha because he always said buddhism was beyond words. But we evolved to be in relationship with life through the use of words (and other ways as well), so part of dancing in nature is to speak. Sometimes I wonder though if I go too far with words, or not far enough?

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