When all that is ephemeral disappears,
when all the downy feathers of infancy fall away,
in the absolute poverty of existence,
the human being is revealed in pure
magnificence.
The universe is not served by squirming motes,
stand up my darlings, and see your glory.
One realized human can change the world:
lead on, the earth is yours.
Author notes
"In this profound poverty of being nothing,
every something is a present."
http://www.jeanniezandi.com/
This produced a visceral outcry. Nothingness is a temporary condition.
A contest entry
- Words Of Wisdom By Contemporary Spiritual Teachers : Jeannie Zandi by maa.
777 points, ended November 16, 2008, 15 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What do you think?
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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like I love to do when I read a poem, I would like to share the first words that appeared on the receptive screen of my mind right after reading your verse : it's an observation made by adyashanti that very much spoke to me :
"many of us get stuck in the emptiness of emptiness" ... and prevent the Divine to do His/Her/Its job ... the only way : surrendering "my" will to Divine Will ... easier said than done for most of us ...
when I feel a resistance to sit down and meditate (without any technique, just staying quiet and merging with nothingness-spaciousness) - I realize that there's some stuff that has come up and that wants to be seen and welcomed and thus return to nothingness-spaciousness ...
temporary fear of vulnerability "who will I be without these beliefs ?" makes the nothingness look empty - until this thought dissolves like all the other limiting thoughts ... revealing the real face of emptiness ... our very own essential nature ...
yet, I can't say that there is "anybody" there anymore to experience it ... as there is "nobody that can become enlightened" as enlightenment is the realization that there is "nobody home", no ego-mind that claims to be an enlightened somebody ... probably, this is meant with "when you see the buddha, kill the buddha" - sadly, this truth has been perverted together with so many other precious teachings that have fallen into the wrong hands (or rather minds) ...
as for your "visceral outcry", it maybe came in reaction to the usual connotation of being "nothing" and "poverty", in the meaning of lack and misery ... experienced when our true nature is not realized, when divinity is not integrated and honored ...
well, you see, your poem has brought about a lot of inspiration and resonance on this side
thank you so much for your precious participation ...
marion
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Thank you for your deep thoughts, Marion. You are right, my reaction to "profound poverty of being nothing" was immediate, and then I could not think any other way. This is what is now, maybe later it will be different.
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Inspiring
Fine reaction to the contest prompt.
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revealing poem, hank you for inspiring words
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Thank you Venu, all the best to you.
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According to the Nag Hammadi manuscripts the living Jesus said: "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." It is not an option, but an obligation what you have expressed in your poem on this page.
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Thanks Chris, it certainly needed to get out! At this point, I can't think of another response to the contest prompt.
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