Topic: Night in Kalapa

[Nichi]

Night in Kalapa


This time it happened‹
Caught in a thunderstorm,
Spun and twirled,
Dizzy,
Happy,
I was caught off guard.
This whirlwind took my heart.

I needed everything to fall apart
Like feathers from a pillow
Tossed high into the sky.
Everything comes falling down,
Gliding on a breeze caught in its own time‹
Energy that can't be measured.

Comet shoots across my existence.
This wonderful force does not know where it will go.
I need things to fall apart,
I want things to fall apart.
All through time, all through the day
I have held on and held on tight.
Now everything falls apart.

The sun and the moon know how to fall apart.
Spring knows how to be summer
Autumn leaves know how to fall down.
Can I be like the seasons
And know that falling apart
Is the movement of time,
The movement of life?

I have not given up,
I have simply woken up.
This wild burst of energy
Wants to twirl and spin,
It wants mayhem.

I am mayhem‹
Claustrophobia self-liberated,
Hesitation with a friend called fathomlessness.
I am that smile that shines across the sky.
If you look up, you will see me
And fall apart.


Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Contemporary



The Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche is one of the most respected lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to his role as teacher and spiritual guide, he is also a poet and artist, and an athlete who runs marathons to raise money in support of Tibet and its people.

Sayong Mipham is the son of the much-loved, but somewhat controversial Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Sakyong Mipham is considered to be an incarnation of Mipham the Great, an important historical teacher of Buddhism in Tibet.

He was born in Bodh Gaya, India, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment. He studied meditation with many of the great modern Buddhist teachers and lineage holders. As a young man, his father brought him to Europe and North America to further his education.

His title "The Sakyong" means literally "Earth Protector," and he is considered a spiritual king in the Shambhala tradition that emphasizes courage in the spiritual journey through earthly life. He is a lineage holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions, and is head of the modern Shambhala movement.

He is married and teaches a path of enlightenment through engagement with daily life.

Note by Ivan Granger

[Nichi]

Snow Fell Twice, The Sun Always Shone

Incorrigible state of bewilderment,
You make retreat life possible.
Desolate green grass, rolling far beyond;
Spring can see the clarity of dew-dropping morning cherries.
Achiness that comes from the fourth session
Leaves me humbled and inspired.
Opening the front door,
A gust of wind, round and billowing
Cold at the edges, warm and forceful at the center
Comes gushing in‹
Happiness pervades my entire body.
My joints feel achy‹
Slouch and sit straight up.
The shrine is messy, haphazard
Ordered and neat beyond my understanding
Simplified to a level of doubt.
Lighting the first candle,
I smell the sulfur of apprehension.
The delight of spark and flame‹
My end of the world becomes illuminated:
So simple, so mine, so obvious.
Basking in a moment of loneliness,
I watch the bright light of sun
Slide and mesmerize.
Early morning view:
A spider has crawled into the sink.
Plastic flaps, cold air seeps in‹
Karma is caused by a moment of agitation.
In the distance I hear the labored activity
Of a small bird making its home in a tree.
Gentle breezes sway the green grass
And common song is sung.
Meditating on a rock has made me soft;
Smelling wildflowers has hardened my understanding.
Delight in a small crease where rice has fallen
Delight in a space‹
Time has become smooth and sweet.
Rise, drink bitter tea
Light a piece of broken incense‹
Life is full of retreat.



Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Contemporary

[Nichi]

Fortunate Birth

In the kingdom of children
Every one of you is this child,
An innocent being
Who jumped out of heaven
And landed in Shambhala.
Fortunate birth is who you are
Everything is perfect in your world.

Your clothing is the mist of heaven,
Your feet covered by dragon's breath,
You are the most fortunate beings on earth.
You are the children of dharma.
Nothing can close your open heart.
Other children suffer, caught in perpetual dilemma
Because Buddha has touched you,
You are fortunate.

Be dharmic now,
Be powerful now,
Be benevolent now
Not for me, not for others
But because that is your blood.
When you feel privileged, use it.
When you feel ashamed, pounce.
Consume that hesitation
It's only a flicker of your imagination.

You are the blessed people on this earth.
Every atom of your being is Buddha
What's left is joy.
You have no excuse;
Don't sulk.
You can be sad, for sadness is
the most genuine expression.
Expression of goodness is who you are.
Being a child of dharma is dilemma.
Being a child of dharma is freedom.

Consume this hesitation of not knowing.
Never doubt,
Only walk forward.
Love everything,
For that is why you are here.


Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Contemporary