Saturday, February 28, 2009

Lists, The Raven

Lately the creativity has been spreading from blog to blog, similar subjects, and borrowing or replying one to each other more than usual. I am really happy for that. I believe I do much better work this way. Thank you all. You know who you are.

Here is a poem about distance and how intimacy can still happen.

Lists

Standing still, reaching
In my heart across the flow
Of far light from me to you
Wonder of day's end
Wonder of warm dreams
Wonder of true life.

Lists of thanksgiving
Lead to peace, tranquility,

Lead to you near by.

*******************************

You get your help where you can find it. This is a poem about waking up. Charles Tart is one among others who points out that we live in a consensus trance, that we don't know it for a trance because it is normal to us, and that breaking away is quite uncomfortable for most of us. I am not going to argue whether this is all true or not, but I will point out that this is one way to describe the challenge laid at our feet by every mystical tradition on the planet.


They all agree as well that the solution happens only in solitude at some point, because in order to see you have to wake up and make peace among the dreamers. They mostly agree that you need a guide. That guide might be a guru, as in the eastern traditions, a spirit guide as with the vision quests of the First Nations, or the Holy Ghost as encountered within the Christian monastic traditions. Every tradition as well allows for the possibility that the spiritual heart of the world can erupt in you at any time, should there be a need for that to happen.

This is nothing to fool with. There are people who do, though. Be careful who you might choose to follow. One of the worst lies is the one told by the false prophet. And not fundamentally different is the person still asleep who claims he is awake.

The mystical traditions also claim that if you waken unprepared you will try your best to go back to sleep but once awake this attempt and every attempt thereafter becomes more and more unhappy and miserable. You can run but you can no longer hide.

Oh yes, and as Zen says of this business of waking up, when you achieve enlightenment, what you do next is the next right thing, like chopping wood for the fire, like carrying water for the bath. Like loving and forgiving as many times as necessary.

The Raven

You perch on my head,
Pluck at my eyebrows and talk
To me like my Lord.

I am shaken by your voice
As you speak clearly to me.

I mean you shake me.
My eyes are clean. Parasites
Eaten, you depart.

8 comments:

  1. Today i was talking to a chickadee.
    It flew off, a raven came and talked to me.
    How about that for synchronized creativity? :)

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  2. Christopher
    This is so true and so absolutely the crux of the matter.Thanks for sharing this one.
    Linda

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  3. Yes. Raven is expanding his migratory route of late. Thanks for the excellent report of his visit.

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  4. This flow of creativity across the web of our blogs is due, in large part, to people like you who post such interesting and thought-provoking comments. Thank you.

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  5. vapidvainglorious
    all who wish
    all who seek
    something beneath
    someone behind
    the mask

    raven knows
    there is only mask
    decoration of trinkets
    covers only nothing

    raven's eye
    GD

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  6. Haha! Thank you, Christopher. You must have read my mind. I have a "shoes" poem in the publication queue on my blog, thanks to you. :)

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  7. Jozien, what did Raven say, if you have permission to share? Of course, if it is classified, then so be it.

    Linda, Yes, the crux of the matter. It is fourfold, cruciform, and it nails us all.

    Robin, between Coyote and Raven I have little time left to snivel. I no longer am sure what to do, because so much of my life depends on sniveling. :)

    Karen, I think too much maybe. See Ghost.

    Ghost, That's what the Wizard said, "HeeHee, it's only me here behind the curtain." As for me, when the curtain was pulled for me "nothing" was rather a serene and full place. "Nothing" is a point of view. You are quite right, and seeking directly, well, very near the end of the Buddhist trail, you meet Buddha, and here is the Buddhist directive: "Kill him."

    Rachel, Excellent, my friend. By the way, I visited your herbal site. What a fine bit of research you did.

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  8. This is always a great place to come for intellectual and emotional stimulation..whatever the subject however it is presented. I appreciate the view. Ghost you are incredible. I love seeing that symbol
    Linda

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The chicken crossed the road. That's poultry in motion.


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