Conduit: Unpleasant Opening

Chapter two of
The renovators;
Hurricane force winds
Stir up the waters,

Back to thinking,
“Unpleasant, unpleasant,”
And so forth,
And “pleasant, pleasant” in between.

What a tempest,
How the swells rage,
Washing up a disagreeable opportunity
To see more clearly,

And already seen
Is how awareness of unpleasant
Makes pleasant more so,
And how they intermingle;

Gradually understanding grows
That both are together,
And it’s a matter of emphasis,
But hard work all the same!

The test will be
Whether acknowledging unpleasant/pleasant,
Can prevent these noisy interlopers
From toppling the mast;

Will this practice help?
Or will this gale
Overturn the boat?
The outcome is yet to be discovered,

The result to be determined,
But either way, may any merit
Accrued by this effort,
Be shared by all sentient beings:
May they too benefit from this practice!

Conduct: Metta Cultivation

After reflecting upon
Cultivating positive states,
Taking a step
By nurturing metta.

Satisfaction overflowed,
Ease unfolded,
Keeping it going
Afloat in peace,

Flowing through
Like water through
A green tea bag,
Picking up that gentle taste,

Making no haste
Slipping past
And absorbing the flavour,
A delicate savour.

Glowing with contentment,
Abiding in happiness,
Enjoyment without grasping,
Gratification without clinging;

What a welcome respite
From life’s difficult fight;
No struggle tonight,
No miserable up tight,

No reason for flight,
Nor frozen fright;
Inhaling the aroma
Of the verdant liquid,

Watching the swirling foam
And sipping in the warm fluid;
Delighting in pure moments
Of suspension of the tensions.

Conducive: Lightening the Load

A whirlwind Saturday:
Grocery shopping,
Vegetable chopping,
Reflection and meditation;

Long on reflection,
Short on meditation;
Decided to slow down
And see what that does,

Because you see,
I had actually given up,
And concluded from this result
That I’d pushed too hard;

A light touch
Certainly feels better;
It’s more respectful,
And compassionate;

I think I will continue,
Easing up on the rudder
And enjoying the view,
Instead of racing.

Where am I going anyway?
There’s no need to press,
No expectations was the place
From which I started this;

Then I got ideas,
And forgot to take it slow,
Which did not help
And may indeed have impeded.

Patience is what’s needed,
That and a willingness
To explore whatever comes forth,
But also, to know enough to stop,
When stormy seas get too rough.