Monday, February 11, 2013

Reminding Myself of Bodhicitta


When the path is unclear
And the way feels confused
Restrengthen bodhictitta
Restrengthen joyful effort
And realization will surely follow

The blessings of the masters
Are not mystical, not magical
They bless by example
Because we can identify
With their wisdom minds

The path we take in this life
Is not important
So long as everything we do
Is completely surrounded
With pure, simple, loving intention

The fruit of this love
The fruit of this beautiful intention
Is the merit we dedicate
To all sentient beings
This love expands inexhaustibly

To take on the suffering of others
Is ungrounding because eventually
We don’t know who’s giving
And who is receiving
Lost, we melt in a field of awareness

In this field of awareness
Is suffering, suffering thoroughly
Thoroughly pervaded with love
In this beautiful, awesome, lonely place
Our bodhicitta is our only refuge

As our strength and resolve
And confidence in bodhicitta increase
Through our own great effort
This profound space
Becomes more refined and beautiful

To be comfortable within
This groundless field of awareness
So uncertain, yet so very firm
Is the greatest blessing
And the greatest goodness

From within this space
What is most beneficial for oneself
Is what is most beneficial for others
Because the only way to stay relaxed in space
Is through great love, and love is selfless

In opening awareness through bodhicitta
I know I have no realization
Nothing compared to the masters
But I see their examples
And I cry tears of devotion

1 comment:

  1. I have been reading about this in Pema Chodren "The Places that Scare You." I am glad you put it in my head again this evening. What a pleasant surprise to chance by this link on a whim for the first time in a week or more and find a poem waiting!!! I like this stanza in particular:
    The path we take in this life
    Is not important
    So long as everything we do
    Is completely surrounded
    With pure, simple, loving intention

    This afternoon I had a very long conversation with my father about exactly this. He agrees with you, and I am getting there. :)

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