what a gift it has been
by Genju
This is love: to fly toward a secret sky,
to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.
First, to let go of life.
In the end, to take a step without feet;
to regard this world as invisible,
and to disregard what appears to be the self.
Heart, I said, what a gift it has been
to enter this circle of lovers,
to see beyond seeing itself,
to reach and feel within the breast.
The Divani Shamsi Tabriz, XIII
—
Love is reckless; not reason.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong,
consuming herself, unabashed.
Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
hard surfaced and straightforward.
Having died of self-interest,
she risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.
Without cause God gave us Being;
without cause, give it back again.
Love these Rumi Roshi teishos – and beautiful poetry to boot!
I really love the calligraphy with the new paper! i was going to comment the other day, but things have been a little nuttier than usual around here lately and I got distracted…
This one really pops!
Well, you kind of have a life, you know!
The paper is from the Japan Paper Place and I was “heart”-broken when I “ruined” a couple of sheets.