Guest guest Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 From Ivan a poem by A former Tibetan Dalai lama Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Little Tiger By Kelsang Gyatso(1708 - 1757) English version by Thubten Jinpa and Jas Elsener The honey bee, a little tiger,is not addicted to the taste of sugar;his nature is to extract the juicefrom the sweet lotus flower!Dakinis, above, below, and on earth,unimpeded by closeness and distance,will surely extract the blissful essencewhen the yogins bound by pledges gather.The sun, the king of illumination,is not inflated by self-importance;by the karma of sentient beings,it shines resplendent in the sky.When the sun perfect in skill and wisdomdawns in the sky of the illuminated mind,without conceit, you beautifyand crown the beings of all three realms.The smiling faces of the radiant moonare not addicted to hide and seek;by its relations with the sun,the moon takes waning and waxing forms.Though my gurus, embodiment of all refuge,are free of all fluctuation and of faults,through their flux-ridden karma the disciples perceivethat the guru's three secrets display all kinds of effulgence.Constellations of stars adorning the skyare not competing in a race of speed;due to the force of energy's pull,the twelve planets move clockwise with ease.Guru, deity, and dakini -- my refuge --though not partial toward the faithful,unfailingly you appear to guardthose with fortunate karma blessed.The white clouds hovering above on highare not so light that they arise from nowhere;it is the meeting of moisture and heatthat makes the patches of mist in the sky.Those striving for good karmaare not greedy in self-interest;by the meeting of good conditionsthey become unrivaled as they rise higher.The clear expanse of the autumn skyis not engaged in the act of cleansing;yet being devoid of all obscuration,its pure vision bejewels the eyes.The groundless sphere of all phenomenais not created fresh by a discursive mind;yet when the face of ever-presence is known,all concreteness spontaneously fades away.Rainbows radiating colors freelyare not obsessed by attractive costumes;by the force of dependent conditions,they appear distinct and clearly.This vivid appearance of the external world,though not a self-projected image,through the play of fluctuating thought and mind,appears as paintings of real things. -- from Songs of Spiritual Experience: Tibetan Buddhist Poems of Insight & Awakening, Translated by Thupten Jinpa / Translated by Jas Elsner Amazon.com / Photo by chefranden / ============ Thought for the Day: The ego is not a necessity.It is not even a real thing.The ego is only a bad habit. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Mad Finder (David Ralicke) Hit the Grass Listen / Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Kelsang Gyatso was the seventh Dalai Lama.He was born in Eastern Tibet and immediately showed himself to be a prodigy of deep wisdom and poetic gifts. While still a young boy, he became famous for his ability to spontaneously compose poetic verse. Inspired by a vision of the poet-monk Tsongkhapa, he traveled to central Tibet. He was immediately recognized for his profound spirit, and gave a sermon before thousands -- still as a boy.In 1751 he became the seventh Dalai Lama.===...when the face of ever-presence is known,all concreteness spontaneously fades away.Love that line!There is a lot being explored in this wisdom poem...In so many ways the "vivid appearance of the external world" can become a trap for the distracted mind. Through the intensity of contact we get caught in constant reaction, running after pleasure, running from pain. But this poem reminds us that such experiences are not inherently 'real.' It is not so much that things are unreal; rather, we tend not to see reality directly and, instead, see our own mental reproduction of reality. It is like looking at "paintings of real things" without realizing it.This vivid appearance of the external world,though not a self-projected image,through the play of fluctuating thought and mind,appears as paintings of real things.What we call "experience" is really a story we tell ourselves, a story reflexively created by "fluctuating thought and mind" when it reaches out and touches an object that it perceives to be outside of itself. "Experience" is a mental overlay, and not the thing or event itself.In the truly natural state, the awareness is at rest, perceiving without tension, encountering reality without an overlay of stories, without attraction or repulsion. In that pure awareness, life becomes a flow of events and interaction, not pushed by the self-will of likes and dislikes. We no longer imagine, "I have done this" or "I have experienced that." We are simply as we are, in our pure state. Actions are done, but we do not do them. Events still occur, but they don't happen to us, they simply unfold. We are no longer addicted to the "hide and seek" of life experience; its "waning and waxing" is simply its natural flow.Then we become like the sun, illuminating and beautifying "without conceit." We are rainbows, not obsessed by our "attractive costumes," yet beautiful nonetheless. And like the honey bee, the "little tiger", we are fiercely true to our nature, gathering nectar, not because we are addicted to its sweetness, but because that is what is in our nature to do.The honey bee, a little tiger,is not addicted to the taste of sugar;his nature is to extract the juicefrom the sweet lotus flower!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 HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, 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. 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