![]() Mountain Living: Twenty Poems I. | down beneath the pines a few thatched huts before my eyes everywhere blue mountains and where the sun and moon restless rise and fall this old white cloud idly comes and goes II. | when plum petals among the snows first spring free from the ends of night a dark fragrance flies to the cold lantern where I sit alone and suddenly storms my nostrils wide
III. | through a few splinters of white cloud motionless the Buddha wheel bright moon comes flying to accompany me in my mountain stillness and I smile up at it above the dirty suffering world IV. | It only took a single flake to freeze my mind in the snowy night a few clangs to smash my dreams among the frosted bells and the stove's night fire fragrance too is melted away yet at my window the moon climbs a solitary peak V. | through a face full of clear frostiness raw cold bites through a head overstuffed with white hair a gale whistles and over the world from flowers of emptiness shadows fall but from my eyes the spells of darkness have completely melted VI. | in the sh sh murmur of the spring I hear moon clear the primal Buddha pulse come from the West with motionless tongue eternally speak how can I be sad again? how strange VII. | in the dark valley the orchid scent is overwhelming and at midnight the moon's form so gracefully sways by like a sudden flick of the stag tail whisk reasonless is smashes my meditation VIII. | in its Buddha flash I'd forgot all reason quieted in contemplation when an orphan brilliance glared on my mediation, startling me and I saw off through the void lightning strike but it wasn't the same as the firefly beneath my eyes IX. | clouds scatter the length of the sky rain passes over the snow melts in the chill valley as Spring is born and though I feel my body's like the rushing water I know my mind's not as clear as the ice X. | I'm so rotted out I should pity these weak bones but look! my conciousness is reborn my mind strengthens day and night my back is like an iron rod constant and pervasive is my mediation like an evening's frost XI. | in the empty valley all filth is wiped away but this bit of lazy cloud stays on for company I have the pine branches twitching stag tail whisks which is almost enough deer to make a herd. XII. | words an enchanted film across the eyes ch'an floating dust on the mind yet all ins and outs become one with one twirl of the lotus and the chilocosm whole in my body XIII. | a quiet night but the bell toll will not stop and on my stone bed dreams and thoughts alike seem unreal opening my eyes I don't know where I am until the pine wind sounds fill my ears XIV. | like some pure clarity distilled out of a jeweled mirror the Spring waters fill the many lakes reflect up into my eyes here on Mt. Lu and the moon above my forehead becomes a bright pearl. XV. | six on the lotus clock? the sticks too short and on the incense piece where's the century mark? day and night are truly constant and stop nowhere to know immortality in the morning hold in your hand the womb of the flower to be XVI. | though a slice of cloud seals the valley mouth a thousand peaks scratch open its emptiness and in the middle are a few thatched huts where hidden deep is this white haired mountain man XVII. | what a pity the blue mountains go on forever this old white hair is petrified of the time to come and plans to burn himself out amongst the inns down in the dust anyway who ever heard of a lazy transcendental? XVIII. | on the mountainside mournfully sipping the night rain to the pine sounds throat choking on clear frost gone to beg food this Buddha's priest is a tired bird until the moth brow crescent moon arises new made up XIX. | the world shines like a watery moon my body and mind glisten like porcelain though I see the ice melt the torrents descend I will not know the flowers of Spring XX. | outside my door blue mountains bouquet before the window yellow leaves rustle I sit in meditation without the least word and look back to see my illusions completely gone. |