Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Ravens Call

A Raven

John Daido Loori
"The problem is that people don't understand what enlightenment is. People see it as something other than who they are. They're looking for some kind of perfection that's almost dehumanized. The Buddha was very much a real person, a living person. Sometimes he did things that were not very enlightened, like not initially ordaining women. The perfection is to be found in the ability to keep working at it, and keep correcting yourself when you go astray. Keep returning to what it means to be human.

We have human qualities that are amazing. We have such things as integrity, and persistence, and dedication, and honor and love. There are also things like anger and delusion, separation and so on. These are also human qualities. Practice is about learning how to discern them. It doesn't mean that an enlightened person never gets angry. What happens is that over a period of time anger becomes less self-centered. It's more like the anger of a mother who has just yanked her child off a busy road. That kind of anger is for the benefit of the child. That's why they say the other side of anger is wisdom." - John Daido Loori

The Ravens Call

A friend, more than friends,
ravens cry the world into
being, shot with light,
unearthly halo
of rainbow light, wisdom spread
clear across the sweep
of this universe
that holds you and me upright
and breathing after
all's said and all done.

December 22, 2009 5:08 PM

11 comments:

  1. My raven says 'caw' to your raven.

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  2. I see that...if anyone reading cares, you can go to Rachel's Raven by picking "The Waxing Moon" in the "Over The Wall" section of this blog's sidebar.

    Love you, darlin'.

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  3. and so on the topic of enlightenment i have this to say:

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  4. Thought I saw a raven today
    It looked at me with intent
    Harbinger of what?
    My day of corse!
    like I said
    Thought I saw a raven today
    With intent it looked on me
    From a faded blue roof
    A crow, not a raven
    A crow heralded my day
    Caw, more like crap!

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  5. And you think that I am not chucking with absolute delight at this very moment. Ha! what a divine surprise. great Raven photo too.

    You are absolutely correct of course ... life must be a work in process. Raven of course is both shapeshifter and trickster (among other things). I love him. I have spent a lifetime changing. Moving forward. it really is the only challenge.

    This read was such a treat for me1

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  6. Erin! Of course!!

    Old Raven, and your love affair with a scruffy big bird is a true source, no doubt...

    Coyotes, ravens, raccoons...
    and cats and possibly dogs in the right light.

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  7. The old bait and switch among the ravens and the crows. Some people actually favor crows, especially old crow :D

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  8. Steel toothed

    That bird I thought
    I saw today
    Was a raven that
    Had got away from
    The steel gates
    Of death’s trap

    That bird I thought
    I saw today
    Luck’s trap raven
    That got away
    Warning me of Death's
    Steel toothed grin

    Chris McQueeney 8/17/12

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  9. I love many of the philosophies of Buddhism. Here from Wander's.

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  10. Welcome. Any friend of Chris' is a friend of mine. I hope you will see stuff you like.

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


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