Today’s wisdom

I said to God, “Let me love you.”
And he replied, “Which part?”

“All of you, all of you.” I said.

“Dear” God spoke, “You are as a mouse wanting to impregnate
a tiger who is not even in heat. It is a feat way
beyond your courage and strength.
You would run from me
if I removed my
mask.”

I said to God again,

“Beloved I need to love you – every aspect, every pore.”

And this time God said,

“There is a hideous blemish on my body,
though it is such an infinitesimal part of my Being-
could you kiss that if it were revealed?”

“I will try, Lord, I will try.”

And then God said,
“That blemish is all the hatred and
cruelty in this
world.”

~ Saint Thomas Aquinas
from Love Poems from God, by Daniel Ladinsky

The first time I read this poem, it moved me deeply, and it moves me now. Why? I don’t know. It is an imperfect poem, and I love it. It works even better for me when I change the last word (world) to my name.

The first time I smiled, accepting myself, it moved me deeply; it moves me deeply now. Why? I don’t know.

What? Deeply moved by another poem for the first time:

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?

Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?

Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.

Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?

Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.

~ Mary Oliver
from Swan: Poems and Prose Poems

Smiling with my Inner Mullah Nasruddin smile.

“Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure.
Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds;
Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night.”

―Ikkyū translated by John Stevens

A poem is nothing special, but the moment of discovery is. Why? Truly, I don’t think anyone could know the answer to ribosome777’s question.

“Express yourself completely, then keep quiet. Be like the forces of nature: when it blows, there is only wind; when it rains, there is only rain; when the clouds pass, the sun shines through. If you open yourself to the Tao, you are at one with the Tao and you can embody it completely. If you open yourself to insight, you are at one with insight and you can use it completely. If you open yourself to loss, you are at one with loss and you can accept it completely. Open yourself to the Tao, then trust your natural responses; and everything will fall into place.”

– Chapter 23

They say that it is better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. I don’t mind, and I do appreciate when another takes the time to communicate what I hadn’t seen. Poems are nice because they can reach the head and/or the heart… and maybe more. I’ll admit to ignorance. To be somewhat concise, I consider feeling to be as real as thought, and therefore strive for balance. A poem that resonates deeply with me in the moment is a rare treasure, and I try not to dissect it. Marrying thought with feeling, sometimes the messages give me valuable insight without losing the mysterious quality of unknown territory.

For example, the poem by Mary Oliver had me consider the nature of the Earth element (my birth element):

II Personality

“Day Master
The Day Stem is also called the Day Master and is your personal element, it reflects the most important aspect of personality.
When a person is under stress they often express themselves in the unfavorable aspects of the Day Stem. When a person is balanced and in harmony the favorable aspects manifest.

This is a Earth person.

Favorable:
Fairness is often a predominant quality
Tend to be steady and do not move as fast as others, but what they lack in speed they make up with consistency and longevity.
They do not like to waste their time in grand schemes or ideas, instead they plow through the realities of a situation.
Good at management and organizing, they can be trusted with implementing a plan.
Not overly emotional but are sensitive

Unfavorable:
Tend to be worriers, in fact they may worry about everything not only their direct life but everything in the universe.
Very focused, which may lead to a single-mindedness that hinders versatility and the ability to handle multiple factors simultaneously.
Expect the rest of the world to view life as they do.
Earth types can become stubborn and rigid.
They respond well to change if it is slow and gradual, abrupt change disturbs them.”

Am I listening to messages from my organs when I am moved by correspondences such as hatred and cruelty to heart? Or courage to lungs? Beyond the theme of Inner Smiling, this is what I wonder about what I have posted to this thread.

“Birth Year Animal is Ox

The Ox
Hard working, tenacious, goal oriented, logical, traditional, disciplined, good managers and very loyal. Can be too rigid and should focus on relaxing and being flexible. Not good at delegating and should focus on changing that. They can be good public speakers.”

Replace “God” and “Lord” with “Tao” or “Great Mother” if that helps:

Listen, my friend, this road is the heart opening,
kissing his feet, resistance broken, tears all night.

If we could reach the Lord through immersion in water,
I would have asked to be born a fish in this life.

If we could reach Him through nothing but berries and wild nuts
then surely the saints would have been monkeys when they came
from the womb!

If we could reach him by munching lettuce and dry leaves
then goats would surely get to the Holy One before us!

If the worship of stone stature could bring us all the way,
I would have adored a granite mountain years ago.

Mirabai says, “The heat of midnight tears will bring you to God.”

~ Mirabai
translation by Robert Bly