Tag: buddhism

• what follows will follow

  run long
  and sit often.
  what follows will follow.
  what stays behind
  was not worth holding.

  the demons lose interest
  when there’s nothing left to feed on,
  when sweat carries away
  what words cannot.

  the mind,
  emptied by effort,
  listens.

  there is no trick to this.
  no door you forgot to open.
  no shortcut.

  only breath, body
  mind, discipline.
  
  and the sound of your feet
  on the path,

  the slow untying
  of everything
  you thought
  was you.

  ---

  I guess this should be pretty simple and self-evident, but I’ve noticed over the years that the quality of my mental health is directly tied to the intensity of my physical efforts and the consistency of my meditation. Obviously, there are other components that play a role (for me those other components are meaningful human connection, sobriety, service to others, and creativity) but when I’m at the very least logging lots of long trail runs and staying disciplined in my Vipassana practice, there isn’t much room left for anger or anxiety to hang around.

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  November 11, 2025

  buddhism, meditation, mental health, poem, poetry, PTSD, trail running

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• The Illusion of Separateness

  Each connected, all impermanent.
  But you already know this,
  because it was you who first spoke to me
  about the waves and the ocean
  and the clouds to begin with.

  Crest and fall, rejoin, never
  having left, nothing to abandon, just
  a lofty stretch and a return to the essence,
  as the gulls of curious thought
  feather-paint the drifting mist.

  A sun-warmed sigh, drawing it all
  back home, belonging
  to ourselves and to no-thing,
  while the deep-swimming monsters
  sometimes breach the surface,

  and utter their deep calls
  of mischief, their lidless eyes,
  reflecting all the light we cast,
  a delicate dance between flame
  and shadow — they are also us.

  Where whispers of waves soothe the shore,
  we find solace in the cycle, the delicate flow
  of being and becoming in this shared journey, connected,
  accepting the transient nature of all.

  But of course, you already understand
  all of this, because you were the one
  who first showed it to me,
  when I was still paddling alone
  against the illusion of separateness.

  ---

  This poem, The Illusion of Separateness, was first published by Masticadores USA on April 26th, 2024. I am grateful to the editors for featuring my work.

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  April 26, 2024

  buddhism, Connection and Impermanence, Interconnectedness, Masticadores USA, Mindfulness Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, poetry, The Illusion of Separateness

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• May You Be Happy

  I know that a mantra can’t magically heal the world,
  and mettā won’t directly alleviate human suffering.
  But nurturing positive emotions in oneself
  is not a bad place to start.

  And as you tend to your own garden with care,
  remember to sow seeds of empathy in another’s.
  Just a handful will do.
  And if others follow your example,
  someday the walls may collapse under the weight
  of the burgeoning vines of compassion.

  While we won’t alter the world tomorrow
  with our words today,
  change will never flourish
  without small steps forward,
  random acts of kindness,
  sincere wishes for tranquility,
  from a place of resting awareness.

  And so, this wish is my gift to you,
  it isn’t original or unique,
  and it shouldn’t be hoarded,
  but shared generously,
  with family, friend, and foe alike,
  as you sit quietly for a few moments each day,
  a gentle smile on your face:

  May you be happy.
  May you be content.
  May you be at ease.
  May you be peaceful.
  May you be helpful.
  May you be well.
  May you be safe.
  May you be free from suffering.

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  January 31, 2024

  buddhism, loving-kindness, meditation, metta, peace, poem about

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