Scripture of the Zen
The universe is scripture of the Zen,
and while our inner feelings come and go,
its feelings form an archipelago
where on an island prison live most men.
The scripture, when it’s read, helps to release
the feelings which, confined, lead to confusion,
but once they’re understood help to increase
the sense that life is more than an illusion
The scripture of the universe does not
require any priests or temples, and
interpretation of its poetry and plot
is what Zen masters hope we’ll understand
at every moment of our lives. It changes
according to the moment and the season,
sometimes remote as Himalayan ranges,
sometimes approachable with rhyme and reason.
With this scripture we can reach the realm
where thoughts that are exposed are safely bared,
but not allowed by us to overwhelm
the universe that we have always shared
with all the living creatures and the plants
that God created long before the day
that He created Man, whose hierophants
believe that only they know how to pray.
poem by Gershon Hepner (21 September 2008)
Added by Poetry Lover
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