To see the face before you,
To only see this face,
And nothing more,
And not to be in a dream,
Or drowning in an ocean
Of thinking and thoughts,
Or in your rivers of feelings, desires, perceptions;
To see clearly with all the senses,
To have pure recognition,
Pure awareness of what is
And nothing more—is to meditate
Each time you see with pure awareness
The more you see the wonders of life
And they become you;
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To see the face before you,
To only see this face,
And nothing more,
And not to be in a dream,
Or drowning in an ocean
Of thinking and thoughts,
Or in your rivers of feelings, desires, perceptions;
To see clearly with all the senses,
To have pure recognition,
Pure awareness of what is
And nothing more---is to meditate
Each time you see with pure awareness
The more you see the wonders of life
And they become you;
And the more deeply you connect with life,
You vibrate with all its wonderfulness.
You just hear, see, taste, smell.
You see the unclear mind too
With its likes and dislikes,
Attachments, aversions,
Analyses, plans, judgments, criticisms.
All its imaginations, illusions,
Which block and suffocate understanding,
Compassion and love.
Just see your feelings, desires, perceptions,
Both good and not-good.
Just see their face and nothing more.
So you are not tricked and deceived,
Becoming identified with them,
Caught and imprisoned in them.
Just let these rivers flow by themselves.
Do not add or take away anything,
But simply see things as they are
With interest and wonder,
And a smile.
—By Bill Menza
Dharma teacher Bill Menza was inspired to write this poem from a Dharma talk by Thay Phap Dang.
