Concepts: Up and Down

Scattered showers
In the mind,
Just like the weather
No peace to find.

Looking from tranquility
Into the storm,
I see only torrents
And puddles of water.

Soon I’ll be back
Under the showers;
Then I’ll be seeing
Sunshine again.

Back and forth
From one to other,
From happiness to misery:
This is how it goes.

One day maybe I’ll stop wavering,
Possibly even today,
But until then
I’ll just have to sway:

Weaving in and out
Of the clouds,
From sky to overcast,
From darkness to light;

It gets so tedious
I’d like to stop,
But I can’t seem to
Stay up, I have to drop.

Down I go
Into the flood,
And then from there
Once again I look up.

Concentrate: Body Talk

Staying close
To the body,
Noticing
Its moods,

Seeing how
Thinking
Stirs this
Sensitive form;

But then,
Turning towards these feelings
Restores
Calm.

I set
The intention
To return
Again and again,

To follow
From thought
To body and back
When the vibrations settle.

The tension softens
And pleasant sensations
Flow from body to mind
In a gentle stream;

Bathing in the glow,
Comfortably relaxed,
How simple,
How profound:

This straightforward practice
Produces such beautiful results,
And can be done anywhere
Without any special equipment
Or ado.

Comrades: Friendly Spirits

The daemons doze,
Their little tails
Curled around
Their scaly bodies.

Meanwhile, Horse,
Bear,
And Young Woman
Stay close by my bed;

I stroke Horse’s head,
And give Bear a hug;
I know this reads like
Some kind of fairy tale!

All is calm,
And I rest carefree,
Unperturbed by anything,
Breathtakingly still:

No waves break
The pond,
Nor stir
The muck below;

I don’t know
How far
This will go,
But it is so enjoyable.

Who knew
Fantasy could be
So real,
Or so comforting?

I never would have guessed,
No, not ever predicted
That such esoteric practice
Could bring such peace.