Friday, 3 June 2022

Friday Night Poetry Slam

THEME: Sansheng's Golden Fish

Share your zen poetry below. The theme is merely a suggestion.

Today, I want to also share Tiantong's verse that accompanies this koan because it brought the case to life for me. (Note, the first lines are a reference to the three-tiered Dragon's Gate of the mountain excavated by King Yu. Legend says that the sturgeon swimming upstream who manage to leap past the third tier become dragons and are followed by thunder clouds.)

Tiantong's verse:

When first ascending the tiers of waves, clouds and thunder accompany;

Leaping up magnificently-- look at the great function.

With a burnt tail, he clearly crosses the Gate of Yu;

The beautiful fish won't agree to be sunk in a pickle jar.

An old mature man does not startle the crowd;

Someone used to facing a great adversary has no fear from the start.

Floating, floating, just as light as five ounces;

Massive, massive-- heavier than even a thousand tons

Sansheng's exalted fame over the four seas-- who again was his peer?

Xuefeng stands alone, the eight winds blowing do not move him.

...

Jungle_toad's verse:

An overly ostentatious net entangles itself

A true teacher should know how to bait a golden fish

A strong man can shrug off a weight no one else can lift

When two immovable walls press against each other they form a great hall

A soaring dragon and thunderous lightning swirl together in a double helix

The sun still blazes behind the Earth at midnight

The moon burns a rusty iris through the veil of clouds

People in the bustling marketplace still go about their daily business



Submitted June 04, 2022 at 12:49AM by jungle_toad https://ift.tt/k1P30c4

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