Domesticate: Homing In

Wondrous sitting,
Breathing exciting,
Jumping around
And off and on

But pleasant peace,
That was until
The mind began flitting about,
On its own errands;

Counting the breaths
Pulled the attention
Away from jittery thoughts,
Which faded into the background,

Being with the breath,
It suddenly occurred to me
That I’m always with it,
For how else could I be?

Then all was just one experience,
All the senses working together,
A seamless happening
With no distractions,

Hearing the fan going and other sounds,
The thoughts arising and passing,
The sensations of sciatica,
Back pain and comfort united as one,

A sense of pleasant
And a thought,
‘This is a pleasant sitting,’
Into which attention fell for a time,

Then soon ‘twas the end
Of this particular mindfulness mission
And now to stow the cushions
And prepare for bed.

Domestic: At Home

The path looks straight
But the mind is tangled,
How do these go together?
Or do they?

They must do,
As they are together,
Happenings in
The present moment;

No adjustment needed
Even though everything’s a mess,
Life is disorderly,
Otherwise, how could it arise?

Growth is all over,
Playful and wild,
Creative and expressive,
Spicy as well as mild;

The mind is alive,
Full of thoughts
And wondrous images,
Colour and light,

Dancing delightfully,
Cavorting spontaneously,
Taking unexpected turns
And cart wheeling mightily,

Nobody’s in charge
Of this remarkable display,
Which appears no different
From all else at play;

Connected in with
The celestial music,
Which sings joyfully
To all who hear it.

Domain: Taking Refuge in Tara

Tara keep me sane!
Quiet my addled brain,
Guard my steps,
Lest my vessel upsets,

Steady this wobbly boat
And keep it afloat,
Quell this agitated mind,
Prevent it from going blind,

Calm the stormy sea
For how else can I cross to freedom?
But if that’s not the way
Show me how amidst the surf to play!

Keep me in the center of the sea-lane
And protect me from any bane,
Let me not get confused
But see clearly how to navigate my course,

Although I get lost
May my vision penetrate the void,
If I should fall overboard,
May I learn how to dance on the ocean floor!

If my resolve falters,
May I find it even among the turbulent waters
But when the lake is calm
May I continue to sail on,

Never ceasing in my efforts,
Even when the rain lets up,
Preparing for the next challenge,
Not resting too long before striving more

And when again the clouds form,
May I be ready, not caught unawares,
Grateful for Tara’s support
And alert for what’s afoot.