What It Is

What kind of this is that?-Taizan Maezumi

You practice zazen zealously,

You’ve heard Great Mountain teach,

But the world in ten directions

Proves far beyond your reach.

To cleanse your mind of routine stress

You sit palms upturned, legs crossed;

But the world in ten directions

On you is all but lost.

True follower of Siddhartha,

A real gold-digger of the mind,

But the world in ten directions

Is one bright jewel you cannot seem to find.

You fancy yourself a polymath,

You seem well versed in Da-Da,

But the world in ten directions

Is not found in travel guides to Shangri-la.

A Journey to the East

On a pilgrimage of introspection

Would not help you see the Rootless Tree

Is how to know the world in ten directions.

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