I see people everywhere dignified and fond of form not repaying their parents' kindness square-inches of the smallest sort incurring debts to others not embarrassed until they have hooves caring for wives and children not supporting their parents treating brothers like enemies always becoming upset remembering when they were young asking the gods to make them older and now they're unworthy sons of which the world has plenty they buy meat and never share wipe their lips and say they're fine ramble on about themselves their wisdom knows no equal the old ox glares in anger when he sees his time is up he picks a buddha to worship and chooses a monk to support but when an arhat begs for food he drives him from his door unaware of the effortless man who never assumes any form he invites eminent clerics and gives them alms and money Dharma masters like Yun-kuang with horns upon their heads unless your mind's impartial no sages will appear fools and sages are the same end your attachment to form | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...I PAY MY DEBT FOR LAFAYETTE AND ROCHAMBEAU' by EDGAR LEE MASTERS A MOTHER TO HER SICK CHILD by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES TO THE VIRGINIAN VOYAGE [1611] by MICHAEL DRAYTON IN HOSPITAL: 4. BEFORE by WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY EPODE: 2. THE PRAISES OF A COUNTRY LIFE by QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS EMBLEMS OF LOVE: 10. BLIND LOVE by PHILIP AYRES FUNERAL by ETHEL SKIPTON BARRINGER |