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Sunday, September 02, 2007

Old Dream of River Sky

Expressions of adoration to the one who never fails who relieve the suffering of all sentient beings, each according to their individual need: the primordially perfect mother, awareness and emptiness.

Consider this!

Across the blue sea of emptiness
through the storm of suffering,
into this world of tears he came,
yet again, to benefit all beings.

And in my dream of ignorance
I thought that I was his mirror
when truly, he was mine.

Because the separation from him was long
the recognition of him was gradual.

His inexhaustible wisdom,
shining like a gentle moon,
only to appear here and there
behind the veil of moving clouds.

The clouds were my limitations,
their movement my wrong views,
the light was his light of pure awareness.

One who teaches the eradication of suffering
in a single lifetime is precious,
no matter what disguise he assumes
no matter how difficult the lesson.

One who awakens the dreamer
and begs her to face the collection,
is precious, no matter what method he uses
no matter how sudden the means.

One who with fierce wisdom
grasps the deceiver by the throat,
and throws out the deception,
is precious, no matter how the battle ends,
no matter how the story is written.

And now, that I come to suffer,
soon to be free of the prison of this body
yet faced with the prison of mankind on one side
and the prison of memory on the other,
I marvel at the great blessing
and the fine fortune of you, and
the escape from prison you have offered.

Who has greater need for your instruction
than this broken dancer, your Ancient Love?

Now that I have seen your true face
do not turn away from me;
I beg you, remain in this world
and teach me a little longer.

I wish only to sing this song
over and over to you;
I wish only to hear your song sung to me:

From the myriad possibilities of sentience
into the rare and difficult dream of human birth you came;
because of past actions, your present tendency caused you to believe in love.

From the busy wellspring of awareness and ignorance
that sustains appearances,
you chose to believe in me.

But, now the view that tested you is itself tested,
as your mind watches your mind,
and what one seeks causes the other suffering.

I pray that you reconcile, and become one in your divinity.

I offer the cloud of merit that my prayers have
accumulated since beginningless time,
in exchange for your happiness and contentment;
I pray that you never again experience any discord,
and bind yourself to me without any
obstacles or obscurations.

To you, who are incomparable among others,
I give this admonition:
Do not cling to the false friend
when the true friend calls.

If you find fault with the one
who has loved you in perfect purity,
Please tell me, what wrong I did when
I drank your poisons and danced with your passions,
and entered your prisons to answer your prayers.

To you, who are incomparable among others,
I give this admonition:
Do not struggle against the true friend,
while the false friend deceives you.

If you find fault with the one
who has loved you with fearless heart,
Please tell me, what wrong I did when
I showed you that gold is sand and dreams are dust,
and realities are uncreated rainbows across a lake.

You think only of the things
you wished for and did not see
but ordinary eyes do not see the diamonds I gave you.

They are not of the hand, not even of the mind,
Yet, every inch of the stainless sky cries out to you now,
To hold them, see them, and know them:
Permanently pure, gone beyond poisons, passions, prisons, prayers.

Gem medicines and jewel voices that cure all diseases as they whisper:
“Do not be afraid. I am here with you.
I will not leave without you.”

In the ocean of suffering caused by
the conditioned existence of impermanence,
what is more precious than this?

Gifts to the hand disappear;
gifts to the mind are a mirror,
but gifts to the heart are eternal.

I, who have crossed seas of time to be with you,
am the love that believes in you,
forever skillfully sailing to a farther shore.

To you, who are incomparable among others,
I give this admonition:
Many gifts are possible in this life,
but the greatest of these is loving kindness.

Copyright (c) 2002 Tulku Urgyan Tenpa Rinpoche. Rights reserved.