Tuesday as Spiritual Breakthrough
Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem
The master teacher of the Zen monks tells
One monk to jump to foaming whirlpool waves.
He jumps and finds himself in no deep wells
Of spirit, not in deepest spirit caves,
But on his ordinary feet and on
The road that takes him to his home. So goes
The tale, but does this lead to sacred dawn
Of revelation? Do the sandaled toes
Walk on to wide Enlightenment and bliss,
The nerveless bliss Nirvana offers, or
His bedroom and tatami mats — or kiss
That is that Bodhi’s transcendental shore?
Perhaps to both he walked when on the ground
Of everydayness. There is Buddha found.
~ Phillip Whidden