my teacher once asked me,
how can we package compassion,
wrap it up in a small parcel
to sell at the local grocery store?

carefully, I looked at the tree before me,
are you a package of compassion?
she stood silently,
leaving no room for doubt.

this morning, sitting,
the sky growing light,
i set my mind on compassion.
can my mind be a container of compassion?
a parcel of loving kindness?
can my breath be a solid, tangible
manifestation of compassion?

quietly i sat
allowing the mind of love and understanding
fill me, nourish me
the love of my teacher
the love of the air
the understanding that embraces a sister i struggle with,
an offering of peace.

my mind journeys to a recent day,
walking along the road leading to
the cliffs and ocean below.
with each person i pass,
i allow my heart to open lightly
some look easily, friendly
we say, “hi”
others caught in their thinking
not available to look each other
briefly in the face.

the dance of moving closer,
looking down, up, over
then allowing our eyes to meet
a warming of our faces, a half smile
sometimes a bow
and i pause, my two feet next to each other
giving space to our greeting
heads lowered, then a brief smile
eyes touch and we continue our paths.

can we walk all through the day,
the evening and the night and allow our fresh hearts to greet each living being?

and as we greet the people, animals, plants and minerals
along our path, above and below
shall we also meet the subtle beings,
the mental beings—
our thoughts, our feelings,
our perceptions and our consciousness
with kindness, with warmth, and equanimity

and perhaps we may become containers of compassion,
parcels of light for each other.

sister steadiness, 2001