Looking For Each Other

I have been looking for you, World Honored One,
since I was a little child.
With my first breath, I heard your call,
and began to look for you, Blessed One.
I’ve walked so many perilous paths,
confronted so many dangers,
endured despair, fear, hopes, and memories.
I’ve trekked to the farthest regions, immense and wild,
sailed the vast oceans,
traversed the highest summits, lost among the clouds.
I’ve lain dead, utterly alone,
on the sands of ancient deserts.
I’ve held in my heart so many tears of stone.

Blessed One, I’ve dreamed of drinking dewdrops
that sparkle with the light of far-off galaxies.
I’ve left footprints on celestial mountains
and screamed from the depths of Avici Hell, exhausted, crazed with despair
because I was so hungry, so thirsty.
For millions of lifetimes,
I’ve longed to see you,
but didn’t know where to look.
Yet, I’ve always felt your presence with a mysterious certainty.

I know that for thousands of lifetimes,
you and I have been one,
and the distance between us is only a flash of though.
Just yesterday while walking alone,
I saw the old path strewn with Autumn leaves,
and the brilliant moon, hanging over the gate,
suddenly appeared like the image of an old friend.
And all the stars confirmed that you were there!
All night, the rain of compassion continued to fall,
while lightning flashed through my window
and a great storm arose,
as if Earth and Sky were in battle.
Finally in me the rain stopped, the clouds parted.
The moon returned,
shining peacefully, calming Earth and Sky.
Looking into the mirror of the moon, suddenly
I saw myself,
and I saw you smiling, Blessed One.
How strange!

The moon of freedom has returned to me,
everything I thought I had lost.
From that moment on,
and in each moment that followed,
I saw that nothing had gone.
There is nothing that should be restored.
Every flower, every stone, and every leaf recognize me.
Wherever I turn, I see you smiling
the smile of no-birth and no-death.
The smile I received while looking at the mirror of the moon.
I see you sitting there, solid as Mount Meru,
calm as my own breath,
sitting as though no raging fire storm ever occurred,
sitting in complete peace and freedom.
At last I have found you, Blessed One,
and I have found myself.
There I sit.

The deep blue sky,
the snow-capped mountains painted against the horizon,
and the shining red sun sing with joy.
You, Blessed One, are my first love.
The love that is always present, always pure, and freshly new.
And I shall never need a love that will be called “last.”
You are the source of well-being flowing through numberless troubled lives,
the water from you spiritual stream always pure, as it was in the beginning.
You are the source of peace,
solidity, and inner freedom.
You are the Buddha, the Tathagata.
With my one-pointed mind
I vow to nourish your solidity and freedom in myself
so I can offer solidity and freedom to countless others,
now and forever.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Comments

  1. Osvaldo de Aguiar

    November 21, 2012

    A esperança , não devemos perder nunca, ela que nos da força para seguir em frente, para alcançar as graças de nosso criador, para termos paz,alegria,saúde. Um ser humano sem esperança e um corpo vazio, sem alma!

  2. Osvaldo de Aguiar

    November 21, 2012

    Obrigado,Jendhamuni, ao longo da nossa vida sempre aprendemos, tenho 70 anos e todo instante estou aprendendo com o mundo, com você e com todos os amigos do G+

  3. Patricia Errazuriz

    November 21, 2012

    OM MANI PADME HUM is more related with Hinduism than Buddhism and the meaning is very relative. Also is used by people that follow TANTRA.

  4. Kevin C

    November 21, 2012

    Lovely, thank you, Jendhamuni Sos

  5. Kevin C

    November 21, 2012

    You don't have to thank me Jendhamuni Sos, just keep being wonderful.

  6. Sofie Løve Forsberg

    November 21, 2012

    I'm sorry, dearest Jendhmuni, that I don not really have anything to comment in your posts these days. They are all so wonderful and give me strength to move forward through some hard times I'm facing these days.
    LOVE&PEACE&HAPPINESS

  7. Jendhamuni Sos

    November 21, 2012

    My dearest +Sofie Løve Forsberg You do not need to write anything on the posts. Feeling your presence on my page, makes me happy already. Each, and everyone of us here, on this vary earth, is facing some kind of problems, suffering, on our daily life, just like Lord Buddha said, "rich and poor alike…" We cannot escape the suffering, unless we learn how to let go of what it is that makes us unhappy. I'm learning every single day and letting go as much as possible…

  8. Jendhamuni Sos

    November 23, 2012

    Thank you so much +Aruna Lokhande I like this poem very much. I just had to read a few times to understand the full meaning.

  9. Vinaya Dass

    November 23, 2012

    Both are beautiful…..image and the words.

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