According to Buddha
Touching the present moment, we realize that the present is made of the past and is creating the future.
the past, past, well now let me tell you about the past
the past is filled with silent joys and broken toys,
laughing girls and teasing boys,
was i ever in love? i called it love – i mean, it felt like love,
there were moments when, well, there were moments when
***
Alberta Aviation Museum, Edmonton ~ November 2017.
According to Buddha
Be as simple as you can be; you will be astonished to see how uncomplicated and happy your life can become.
one of these days,
i’m gonna sit down and write a long letter
to all the good friends i’ve known
one of these days, one of these days, one of these days,
and it won’t be long, it won’t be long.
***
Fort Edmonton, Alberta ~ July 2016
According to Buddha
You have come to earth to entertain and to be entertained.
o amarelo da carris
vai da alfama à mouraria
quem diria
vai da baixa ao bairro alto
trepa à graça em sobressalto
sem saber geografia
o amarelo da carris
já teve um avô outrora
que era o xora?
teve um pai americano
foi inglês por muito ano
só é português agora
***
Trams in Lisbon ~ April 2016
According to Buddha
Build your inner environment. Practice silence. I remember the wonderful discipline of the Great Ones. When we used to talk and chatter, they would say: “Go back into your inner castle.” It was very hard to comprehend then, but now I understand the way of peace.
ave generosa mundi rosa
felix et sacra virgo maria
espiritus sanctus laudamos te(ave, ave gemma preciosa)
espiritus sanctus laudamos te(sub intimo cordis in custodia)
cruxificie vulnerati ave mundi luminar
***
São Jorge Castle, Lisbon Portugal, April 2016.
According to Buddha
No matter what you seek, you must seek it with joy, in expectation of having joy by possessing it, and you must feel joyous when you actually get it. When seeking different things directly or indirectly, in reality you are seeking joy. When seeking all things, it is really joy that you seek through all these things and the fulfillment of all desires.
our love was like the water
that splashes on a stone
our love is like our music
its here, and then its gone
so take me to the airport
and put me on a plane
i got no expectations
to pass through here again
***
Alberta Aviation Museum, Edmonton ~ January 2016.
According to Buddha
The worldly winds can teach us about the texture of life. They can reveal its heights and depths. They can show us ourselves at our noblest and our most petty. They can draw from us new qualities and dimensions of being.
and i’ve got such a long way to go
such a long way to go
to make it to the border of Mexico
so i’ll ride like the wind, ride like the wind
gonna ride the wind
***
USS Constellation ~ Baltimore, Maryland ~ June 2015.
According to Buddha
The impermanence of this floating world I feel over and over. It is hardest to be the one left behind.
***
Chickakoo Lake, Alberta ~ May 2015.
According to Buddha
Through daily practice and attending fellowship, the lifestyle will take care of itself. When we engage in daily practice of the nembutsu as a ‘living’ practice, and not just an intellectual exercise, naturally, our lives will be transformed into the substance of shinjin, the experience of awakening.
every chance we got
we were down by the river all night long
when the sun came up i was sneakin’ her home
and draggin’ my butt to work
with the smell of her perfume on my shirt
i’d be on the tractor she’d be on my mind
with that sun beatin’ down on this back of mine
just when I thought it couldn’t get no hotter
i fell in love with the farmer’s daughter
we got married last spring
whoa and there ain’t no better life for me
***
The Stony Plain & Parkland Pioneer Museum, Stony Plain, Alberta ~ May 2015.
According to Buddha
Everything changes, nothing remains without change.
out from my window across from the city
i have what’s considered a good view
two blocks from the subway, three from the fountain
where i walk to break in new shoes
she stands on the sidewalk just waving at taxis
like horses in parades in passing
i ask where she’s headed she tells me,
Ohio, i’ve not seen my mother in ages
it’s been a long time, a real long time.
***
Highway 21, Central Alberta ~ May 2015.
According to Buddha
Through my love for you, I want to express my love for the whole cosmos, the whole of humanity, and all beings. By living with you, I want to learn to love everyone and all species. If I succeed in loving you, I will be able to love everyone and all species on Earth…This is the real message of love.
when everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
i might not be the same, but that’s not important
no freedom ’til we’re equal, damn right i support it
***
