Living Zen Life

Master Dogen's words
are enough for a lifetime:

     "To learn Buddhism is to learn ourselves
       to learn ourselves is to forget ourselves
       to forget ourselves is to be experienced 
       by millions of things and phenomena"*

Learning self is almost intelligible
forgetting self is beyond intelligible
being EXPERIENCED BY 
millions of things and phenomena
is what I'm after!

Just now I put out a tiny red bowl
water to the brim
dollop of honey - sugar water.
I am after hummingbirds
intelligent curious creatures
who, I read, remember human faces
or, in other words,
experience me.

I've begun my practice -
being experienced by myriad phenomena.
Practice and diligence is required
patience a requisite.

I begin with small phenomena
just one hummingbird, then
work my way up the phenomenal ladder.
With patient diligence
without distractions (which are many)
I'll experience that I am being experienced 
by the maple tree in front of me.
Eventually, given many kalpas,
as I've been assured I already have,
I'll experience that I am being experienced 
by Tahoma itself in all its glorious majesty!
What a day that will be!
Enough of words.
The phenomenal world is waiting.
_______________________________

*Eihei Dogen, Genjo Koan translation, Gudo Wafu Nishijima, “Understanding the Shobogenzo”, © Windbell Publications 1992 (www.thezensite.com)