Thursday, June 11, 2015
Lawrence Edwards (Kalidas)--What If? (poem)
What If?
What if you took birth
to know radical freedom
Instead of constantly chafing
against the bonds of limitation?
What if you took birth
to know radical freedom
from self-centered wants and needs,
To be carried by cascades of love
along a river of ecstasy
with nothing to do but
shout to the parched, thirsty souls
standing on the river banks
"Jump! Jump in! Jump in!
You can be free of suffering!"
What if you took birth
to know radical freedom and boundless love
instead of wandering lost in the desert
maze of anger and fear?
What if you took birth
to know radical freedom
Empowered to unfailingly choose
the Way of compassion,
kindness and agapé?
What if you took birth
to know radical freedom
As taught by one fully awake -
a Buddha,
One who has gone beyond -
a tathagata,
A Christ
who taught the Way -
Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you,
Who taught the sutras of selflessness,
compassion, kindness and boundless,
joyous Love,
Who awakens you to why you took birth -
To rejoice every moment
bathing in the sea of unconditional love,
To selflessly serve,
buoyed by uplifting currents
in the ocean of delight!
Having left behind
the conditioned mind,
Knowing radical freedom,
You are Buddha
You are Christ
You are Karuna
You are Kwan Yin
Gaté, gaté, paragaté, parasamgaté, bodhi swaha!
Kalidas
May we serve the One with all the love and joy we are capable of!
