05.06 Mittakālī Therī (92-96)

Norman

92. I went forth in faith from the house to the houseless state and wandered here and there, greedy for gain and honour.

93. I missed the highest goal and pursued the lowest goal. Gone under the mastery of the defilements, I did not know the goal of the ascetic’s state.

94. I experienced religious excitement, as I sat in my little cell; thinking “I have entered upon the wrong road: I have come under the mastery of craving.

95. “My life is short. Old age and sickness are destroying it. There is no time for me to be careless before this body is broken.”

96. Looking at the arising and passing away of the elements of existence as they really are, I stood up with my mind completely released. I have done the Buddha’s teaching.

Weingast

I was always smart.

If the Path was good,

I figured it would make me

even smarter.

One night while meditating,

I watched my thoughts

piling themselves up

all around me.

My mind built a house

out of all those thoughts—

then filled that house.

Soon it was a whole city.

A whole world.

Oh, my beautiful, beautiful thoughts.

Who will look after you after I’m gone?

I swear I could weep.

I could weep for all of you.

My sisters.

Do you really want to be free?

Are you ready to leave behind

all your precious little houses—

and make your home everywhere?

It’s not as hard as you might think.

First stand up.

Then walk out the door.

Other

Leave a comment