Wheel of Life – April 12, 2015

The story

Zen

begin your voyage
follow your inclinations
perceive yourself
awaken to yourself
train yourself
be yourself
overcome yourself
be at one with life
illumination
live your life

beginning or end
from void to void
a circle

from nothing to nothing – that is the way of Zen

emptiness
in infinite space and time
non-duality
even as the dawn comes
so does the dusk

from the void
there came a silent big bang
which no one heard
that spring was barren
of cherry blossoms

pure
like the first energy
devoid of want

Buddha walked
among the creatures – wanting
discovering void
he defeated death and pain
living in the here and now

this circle
that never begins
never ends

© G.s.k. ‘15

Today’s Feature on Carpe Diem Haiku Kai speaks of the Circle of Life or the Wheel of Creation … a very very vast topic … I chose to share some Zen which put simply is a melange of Taoism and Buddhism – and was born in the roots of Hindu beliefs.

I usually don’t contemplate where everything began and I rarely worry about the infinite – in my opinion, there is so much to do in the here and now that there is no sense worrying about things that no human mind can ever really understand. However, many pass their lives trying to understand the Big Bang and how the Universe was created and how it works … and that’s fine.  If nothing else, perhaps knowing the vastness of the creation in comparison to the smallness of what we are will teach humanity a little humility and help us live life on this planet as a part of the whole and not think we are the masters and the reason for creation.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Ever desire-less, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.

Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching