About thorns and blossoms...

Unease is like a thorn on a rose's stem.

As a bulb flowers and blossoms, thorns can be seen to arise into the collective.

The more the growth the more thorns emerge from the present but unnoticed.
Une

Reducing them one by one the blossoming flower's beauty becomes more clear until there is no other focus but that of the rise and fall moment to moment of each blossom.

Karma Ranjung (Copyright)

Image from:

What If

What if heaven did not exist

as we imagine it to be?

Freed from the desire to take

refuge in some distant shore,

be satisfied with where

one is dwelling now.

What if the earth did not exist

as we imagine it to be?

Having no final resting place,

take to the hills of one's mind

and to the burial grounds of one's physical nature.

Impermanently dwelling in

both heaven and earth,

the Way is as hard to grasp

as the infinite nature of one's mind.

Infinity being as close to one

as the dust which one treads upon,

respect the humble nature of one's true nature.

Gleaming with the confidence of heaven,

take one's stand

in relation to the earth

as if one was a King of kings.

Not being disturbed by the hardness

of the crust which envelopes

everything nor flattered by

the flowery songs of heaven,

become one's own refuge.

Conceiving of and realizing the greatness

of one's mind,

kindly dispel the illusions 

which are created by the spinning

revolutions of the earth.

Time is of the essence

to the hypocritically devout,

but to the true seekers of the Dharma,

time can be put to rest

as one's finite thoughts can be put to rest.

Resting in an infinite space 

of creativity,

wholeheartedly imagine 

who one is beyond heaven and earth.

Realizing the illusion of the impermanence

of permanence,

spin according to one's own Dharma wheel.

What if one does not exist

as one one imagines oneself to be?

That is a question worth pursuing infinitely.

Bestowed with an infinite mind,

infinitely question one's reality.

Taking no realization as one's own,

question the need to question

and question the needs of heaven 

and earth as one would question one's own self.

Displaying signs of Buddhahood,

heaven and earth are no longer

necessary and are no longer of prime importance.

All that matters is one's level of commitment

to the Way

of one's infinite heart.

When all else is gone and buried

in the sands of time,

it is only one's realization

of one's infinite nature

which will save one from the need

to continue spinning

with the revolutions of one's finite mind. 

By Julian Colgan

The Blue Cross and Shining Sunset Academy (Copyright)

It is with pleasure that we, with the author's blessings, regularly feature here the work of a young and very talented Canadian writer whose wisdom is beyond his years and whose originality and creativity stand out like spring cherry blossoms. 

(please check out the iamthemonad.blogspot.ca web link listed)

Without A Purpose - Without A Meaning

Two natures or one nature?

Two minds or one mind?

Being neither split nor whole,

accompany one's mindless nature

into one's mindful nature;

and one's mindful nature into a

nature with no extremes.

Give up following the middle way

and be the middle way.

Give up being the middle way

and follow no way.

Having one identity

and no identity

at the same time,

one is and is not empty.

Purpose and meaning

being a sign of an identity

which identifies with a nature

of one kind or another,

disidentify with one's current projections

and end one's relationship

to a mind which appears to be

full of purpose and meaning. 

Empty of emptiness itself,

joyfully watch the play

of selves unfold.

This self unfolds if that self does not.

This self remains as it is if that self changes.

Liquid or ice?

Pebble or diamond?

Projecting - Projecting

Where is the self that is projecting?

Finding neither extreme satisfying,

be the middle way 

that is no way.

Having no way to emulate,

I am the Buddha now.

Having no self to discover,

I am the Buddha now.

Without a purpose

and without a meaning,

everything sparkles 

with purpose and meaning.

Emptiness being nowness-everything is as it is.

Neither past nor future - be who you are.

As one nature arises - so too do I arise.

As one mind disappears - so too do I disappear.

Dependently arisen - no longer arisen.

Grounded in no way - be who you are.

  Julian Colgan

The Blue Cross and Shining Sunset Academy (Copyright)

When inspiration strikes

Everything has a life of its own - even insights.

Some insights last longer than others,

but all insights eventually

tire the continually inspired pilgrim.

The only real insight is the One

that is conceived

outside of known traditions.

Is the Mind a tradition or a religion?

Why do we program our mind to think along

certain lines of convention?

Gods are a convention of religion but the Mind is not.

Why do we try to mix the two?

Insight into the Mind is a product of the Mind.

Why hide behind symbols and doctrines?

When One with the Mind,

I Am not thinking about Its alleged qualities and forms;

nor Am I thinking of any of the known definitions

of It.

All religious hypocrisy

over this doctrine or that doctrine

is close to useless, especially to the Mind.

Doctrines, in the long run, cannot give adequate shelter.

Only insight can.

Insights always inspire the Way of the inspired pilgrim.

 

by Julian Colgan

Blue Cross and Shining Sunset Academy (Copyright)

The Warrior of Dharma

"Only a trained elephant goes to the battlefield;

only a trained elephant carries the king.

Best among men are those who have trained the mind

to endure harsh words patiently"

Dhammapada 24:321

As the slings and arrows of prejudiced thought forms

penetrate into the depths of one's mind,

pay the deed no heed

and be willing to forgive the perpetrator 

for they know not what they do

While under the influence of the intoxicating liquors 

of ignorance and attachment,

the bewildered run to and fro,

having no place to silence their weary and confused emotions

Consider it one's dharma to shield those who have lost track of the Way

for the Compassionate One suffers through them

When the mind of the multitudes is as a stormy sea,

the sobering rock of Buddhahood

remains as if it were out of reach

By becoming absorbed in the ability to remain 

as determined as a will-filled elephant,

any further progress on the path of sorrow will come to a

grinding halt, causing all that which afflicts one

to flee out of one's bosom

To be a warrior among the cowardly

is to roam the grounds of being with total self-confidence

in the graceful awareness of what it means

to be accomplished within and without

by Julian Colgan

The Blue Cross and Shining Sunset Academy - copyright

                                   

The song of the heart Guru

In whirling galaxies above, in amongst

the glowing stars, there I dwell in bliss,

stable in the centre of each one,

In all beings too do I reside in their

wondrous inner core,

Oh so near, yet so far for those that fail

to bring me to the fore.

Like the dark in the heavens is dispelled

by the pure pristine Light, so can I,

once I am found, clear that clutter

That for eons has blocked your Sight…

Sing with me, give your dreams away

For they are just that, they hold no sway

Like passing clouds, meteors in the sky,

All phenomena…just fly by!

All phenomena…just fly by!

I sing the language of the heart, I am like

Blossoms kissed by sun, ever ready to reveal

Their beauty and no one do they shun.

Each opens with equanimity, nothing to conceal

My Light is powerful, it shines so Bright

to blessed beings that birth Insight.

Wake up now, wake up now, stay with me,

And this I Know: you will soon be free.

Yes I Know: you will soon be free!

Darkness is the black hole of deluded fools,

It consumes all that have lost their way,

Thinking this and that, they wander off the path

I cry out to each and all: please don’t stray!

Join me in this joyful song: forget me not,

For I am far and yet so near,

I conquer all the doubts and each and every fear.

Like a mirror, Ego reflects all that is within,

It projects all perceptions conjured by the mind,

But all is you and you are all: I am yours and you

Are mine: Sing this song with me.

As the sun shines equally upon you and they,

to all who awaken do I reveal my Face

All faults and stains I forever sweep away.

Remove the veils of darkness, avoid Black Hole

Rest your mind and let it be, leaving thoughts

and senses, you WILL experience Me dear Soul

Though you may feel alone, I have never left

When we meet this blessing you will receive

That of All Knowing Sight.

Voyage ever deeper into the Cave of Truth,

Witness darkness vanquished by the Light,

Child of Buddha, sing with me, forget me not

For together we can untie this endless Knot.

Like the nectar of the flowers draws the

Bees to its scented core, come back to me

Forget me not, do not leave your Life to fate

For you see, the key of life is truly in your heart

And it is really I, your Clear pure state.

It is I, your Clear pure state.

Written and offered by student Somwang for a special Forest Monk Luang Po’ Sathorn September 2012, in a sacred location in the forests of Sukhotai (Copyright)

Tao Te Ching

                       

-21- 

By being mindful, you are as whole as the Tao. 

By being flexible, you are as straight as a beam of light. 

What is hollow is in reality full 

and what is old is in reality young. 

A good economy is balanced gain 

and an excess of emotions is pure confusion. 

The world is as the sage is; 

a unity within a unity. 

Not recognizing themselves as themselves, 

the sage is as he is. 

Not trying to be better than others, 

the sage is outstanding in every way. 

Not flattering the mind, 

the sage deserves every glorification that can be offered. 

Not aware of a self, 

the sage never has to die. 

Due to the sage's non competitive nature, 

no one is brave enough to challenge the sage 

or to outwit the sage. 

When truth is known, 

truth returns to itself in the form of the sage. 

Author: Julian Colgan: The Blue Cross and Shining Sunset Academy Copyright

(Ed note: we invite you to explore the web site of this original, talented and  promising writer)

Fear and Joy

I rejoice at the scent of blooming jasmine,

I am inebriated by the joy of a true friendship,

I fear only the sight of a fiery moon,

I fear only the sight of a white pale sun,

I wonder where earth and heaven start

At that divide of a stumbling humanity

Yet

In the moonlit face of a sleeping child

I see the golden reflection of a tranquil sea.

12/10/12leoc

Heart

I really thought that I knew it all,

and processed all by thought alone

No time for heart and what of soul?

One day shaken by a mighty tremor 

I realized I was its slightest murmor

Deaf to heart and its tireless message:

"with each beat opens a new passage"

I was thus blind to its true Light and 

so locked out from any Insight

Until one fine day a Lion like roar

shook my foundations to the core.

It screamed:

 

What are you waiting for silly foal

to reconnect your mind to your soul?

(11/10/12leoc)

The White Horses

As I gaze out to sea and sit on heated sand
leaving behind the turmoils of suffering land
I contemplate the eternal movement of space
A constructed beauty free of lasting grace
Vision's forms are breathed to life so dreams too
I see Ego's endless play through and through

From delicate white curtain of a magical mist
crouching, ever ready It attempts a final twist
Two white proud horses appear and stand
But I see they rest on ever shifting sands
In an instant these creations cease, all is still
Such is the power of Mind's focused will
So I come home to the all abiding calm,
The only truly eternal balm.
(10/10/12leod)c

A wish for you

May your guiding inner star,

illuminate your path with its

dazzling glowing Light.

May the flame that flickers

deep within never be blown

out by gales of despair.

(09/10/12leo)

Journey

It is so easy to forget,
Was it all a dream ?
Time truth will unfold
the grip I have upon
my soul!

leo4/10/2012c

(Photo credit uncertain)

Reincarnation

How glad I am to have found you
again,
Many lives, laughter, suffering and
pain
A joy to behold anew your solar
face
To feel your sturdy heart and gentle
gaze
Your child like eyes beaming sunny
rays.

A pure mind long yearning to be
free,
You now stand tall as a majestic
tree,
Tentatively your hand do I attempt to
clasp
Yet must I withdraw, I can no longer
grasp
I am you and you are me, two destinies
to soon be free.

leo4/10/12c