When the Buddha disappears . . .

In Tew's day's mail box this morning:

Today is the 1947 birth date of poet Jane Kenyon.

When buddhas don’t appear
And their followers are gone,
The wisdom of awakening
Bursts forth by itself. – Nagarjuna

Ponderments from Rilke

What are nights like for

people who can't sleep?

Even churches look like prisons.

Ever again the wave sweeps

through all things. Only an ocean

where islands appear

now and again.

This past Saturday night (20 May 12) Taylor Swift and her loyal fans danced through a one-inch deluge of rain during her a three and a half hour, 45 song set at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. She performed previous rain-drenched concert at the same venue in 2011. FYI, Ms. Swift is 33 years of age.

Happiness

There’s just no accounting for happiness . . .

It even comes to the boulder

in the perpetual shade of pine barrens,

to rain falling on the open sea,

to the wineglass, weary of holding wine.

– Jane Kenyon, “Happiness” from Otherwise: New and Selected Poems. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota © 2005 by the Estate of Jane Kenyon.

In honor of the copywrite I've provided a sharply edited portion of this amazing work. Go here to read the whole poem. You'll be glad for it.