Chiao Jan - To Be Shown to the Monks at a Certain Temple

[Guest guest]

-From friend Ivan

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

To Be Shown to the Monks at a Certain Temple

By Chiao Jan

(730 - 799)

English version by J. P. Seaton

Not yet to the shore of nondoing,

it's silly to be sad you're not moored yet...

Eastmount's white clouds say

to keep on moving, even

if it's evening, even if it's fall.

-- from The Shambhala Anthology of Chinese Poetry, Edited by J. P. Seaton Amazon.com

/ Photo by bslmmrs /

 

 

============

Thought for the Day:

You need just this:

 

devotion

to the essential.

============

 

Here's your Daily Music selection --

 

Wimshurst's Machine

A Traveller Who Didn't Ask for Glory

Listen / Purchase More Music Selections

 

 

Hi Alan -

 

Chiao Jan was an aristocrat during the Golden Age of the T'ang era in China. He later became a Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist monk.

 

===

 

On this Monday, when most people are starting their work week, focused on action and accomplishment, I thought Chiao Jan should remind us of the goal of "nondoing."

 

Not yet to the shore of nondoing,

it's silly to be sad you're not moored yet...

 

To be "moored" implies the boat of the self has arrived at its destination -- enlightenment. But what does that have to do with "nondoing"?

 

Nondoing isn't so much inactivity; rather, in the midst of action, there is no personal sense of doership. Action takes place through you, but within you are quiet, at ease, a serene witness. Action no longer emerges from the impulses of the ego, and actions do not reinforce the ego. I know this sounds like a concept that only arcane philosophers would care about, but the actual experience is one of delightful, pure flow, as if a layer of grime has finally been washed from your hands. Movement just naturally occurs upon an open field of awareness. Some traditions describe this actionless action as writing on water, the movement occurs but no trace of ego is left behind.

 

So this is Chiao Jan's nondoing.

 

But he is writing this from the perspective of an aging monk who hasn't quite reached that shore yet. Even though it's evening, even if it's fall, even if if the years have gathered in our bones and hang upon our faces, the mountain of the east -- the direction of sunrise and enlightenment -- beckons us onward, and inward. We journey until we arrive.

 

And Chiao Jan is absolutely right: It is silly to be sad at not yet having arrived. There's a secret key here, one that's so easy to overlook in spiritual practice. It's silly to be sad to be where one is. Think about that for a moment. To wish to be somewhere else, even if that somewhere is enlightenment, is to wish to be somewhere other than where you are. Whereas true enlightenment -- and nondoing -- are only possible when one is deeply present. It is only by fully being where we are that we then discover our boat has arrived at the shore.

 

Have a beautiful day!

 

Ivan

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

 

 

 

Support the Poetry Chaikhana

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you!

 

 

Click here

 

 

 

You

can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers

of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through

the links on this site. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here

 

 

A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here

 

 

Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry Chaikhana Home

New | Books | Music | Teahouse

| About | Contact

Poets

by: Name| Tradition

| Timeline

Poetry by: Theme | Commentary

 

 

Blog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter

www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com

Poetry Chaikhana

P.O. Box 2320

Boulder, CO 80306

 

 

 

 

Ivan

M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are

2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.

All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or

publishers.

============

Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead.

Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel".