Seven Days Before Christmas (7) – meditations – December 24, 2015

Haiku Meditation

in the night
a siren passes
this Christmas eve

flashing lights glare
Christmas trees line the streets
and homeless beggars

shops full of goods
credit cards over-drawn
it’s Christmas time

preparations made
news of the world is of war
inside people’s homes

no peace nor goodwill
brighten the world on this day
and death takes its toll

§§§§

Choka Meditation

wonderful ideal
denies dark reality
mankind seeking peace
a seed planted long ago
we are all one race
religion – a link to God
our planet our home

to overcome finite thought
a difficult task
to love who is different
outside our closed minds
takes so much work – so much time
no sweet sentiments
though they give us some hope
will change our cold hearts

illumination
strips off these darkened veils
allows the warm light
to penetrate in our souls
and makes the ideal – our life

§§§§§§§§

Tanka Meditation

sitting in this room
surrounded by light and love
Christmas glows this morn
this splendid ideal of hope
a gift yet unopened

© G.s.k. ‘15

Haibun

The last episode of Carpe Diem Seven Days Before Christmas is “meditation” don’t be afraid.  I’m sure that many know the history of the world, including the creation of our modern Christmas.  Nor can we deny that in humanity’s long history there has ever been a time of true peace, nor are we so blind not to see inequality, poverty created by the rich or fanaticism born of narrow minds.  One could fill volumes of what is wrong with this world and indeed there are people who do just that and become very popular creating movements of hatred and destruction.  Our hearts sing the loudest when we sing for vengeance.  That’s how we are made.

The only hope for true peace is to understand who we are.  We must understand that our hearts are more swayed by hatred and fear than love and hope, because that’s the easiest road;  It was woven into our DNA in a time when we lived in a savanna and our survival depended on fighting to save our lives.  However, in these millennium, humanity itself has changed.  Our creations help many enjoy a life which is carefree and without want and we could extend this to all if we realized that now that instinct for hatred is not only demode, but terribly dangerous to our very survival.

Sweet dreams of sugar plums won’t dance in my head tonight. My dreams are turned towards a vision of one world, one people and one holy thought – peace, with or without belief in a religion.

the path is thorny
the goal just beyond our reach
don’t be afraid – love

© G.s.k. ‘15

Carpe Diem Seven Days Before Christmas 2015 #7 don’t be afraid (meditation)

From Muddy Depths – Tanka- August 4, 2015

Pond

from muddy depths
an inner blossoming
moonlight thoughts
why search for inspiration
from a dragonfly

muddy waters
turtles in the lotus pond
whisper secrets
the here and now
just the here and now

© G.s.k. ‘15

Written for:

Carpe Diem #789 Lotus flowers

goraikou – haiku/haibun – July 20, 2015

Dawn

from the mountain
the sun dawns from the sea
like a god’s daughter

mountain sunrise
we watch night leave the valley
above the clouds

from Mount Fuji
sunrise creeps over the world
a new day born

© G.s.k. ‘15

Living in the mountains, it’s common to watch the sun rise over the mountains, but unless one goes to the mountain, it’s rare to watch the sun flow from over the valley, illuminating the mountain. I think one of the most beautiful and difficult subjects to write about is a sunrise seen from a mountain top.  I can only imagine standing on the crest of the mountain, still in the dark, looking towards the east as the sun begins to rise over the horizon and in the west, darkness still claiming the valley below and there in the middle …

standing in darkness
as illumination dawns
sunrise

© G.s.k. ‘15

Written for: Carpe Diem #785 goraikou or sunrise seen from a mountain top 

Senryu – NaPoWriMo

oil lamp lit – flickers
with its surrogate lit wick
a flash reflection

illusion created
something expected – seen
a lit oil lamp

out of the darkness
a flash of brilliant white light
illumination

I was taking a photo of this oil lamp I’d recently acquired for a fairy tale post I wrote yesterday…this one was odd man out…but it did present an interesting illusion, it seemed to be lit a little trick played by my flash which I’d forgotten to turn off.

Today I also posted photos and 3 haiku on Through the Eye of Bastet dedicated to shadows…pleas go have a look!

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Pilgrimage – Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Enlightenment

Haiku

four roads
for each pilgrim – his own
enlightenment

temple – church – dojo
or just a dusty pathway
satori awaits

along dusty roads
pathway into your heart
illumination

your secret treasure
hidden unseen to you
holds your heart within

riches are within
he said – choose your goals wisely
walk the middle road

@)–>—>—

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special #78

Zen Haiku – February 11, 2014

Ah – zen mind wu-wei
moving without intension
sunrise in the morn

without a klesa*
without begging daily bread
the way is still clear

reflecting this morn
upon the way of darma
where’s the teddy bear

no temple bells ring
just birds singing in the sky
illumination

eat when you’re hungry
when you’re tired sleep – don’t reason
the pooh will show you

*In Japanese Buddhism the kāṣāya (monks robes) is called kesa (Jp. 袈裟).

Carpe Diem #394 Horinji (temple 9)

Haiku

on awakening
our steps walk the endless path
illumination

American Sentence

Where is the buddha everyone’s seeking: not inside your heart or head!

The prompt

Tanka: Pilgrimage – Carpe Diem #391

walk life’s pilgrimage
visiting inner temples
searching for nirvana
touching the inner Buddha
that’s sleeping within your heart

@)—>—>—

sun’s first rays
illuminate human hearts
great shining Buddha

Please follow this LINK to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai for the interesting and inspiring post of the third day of  a month long Spiritual Pilgrimage to the temples of Japan…and a short history of the various Buddha’s who inspired them.

Siddhartha – Carpe Diem

Siddhartha

a son of mankind
born into riches and fame
joy to his father

discovering pain
old age, illness and then death
pilgrimage began

walking in the world
suffering great pain
discovered the middle path

 Maya defeated
near the great changing river
welcome Nirvana

This series of haiku about Siddhartha was Written for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

One of the ideas that has always been dear to me, is that each of us is a Buddha at least potentially…Buddha means illuminated…and so, if each is a Buddha we are all a Siddhartha as well, as author Hermann Hesse (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse) illustrates in his book: “Siddhartha”.

Haiga: September 18, 2013

Haiga Lamp

Haiku

Lamps

contemplating lamps
by night illumination
today dark and black

September: 30 days of Haiga