Spinozablue: An Eclectic Journal of the Arts

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan. Photo by Keith Pomakis

Nothing to learn

Sitting still and awe­some like a moun­tain
No-​​I thought of noth­ing
    Half-​​way home

Master Hsueng asked No-​​I        
    “Why do you think of noth­ing
    With great intent?”

And No-​​I said
“Through con­cen­tra­tion on noth­ing
I am liberated.”

Thwack came the bam­boo stick
    Gong gong gong rang the bell
            Birds cawed as they fled into the blue sky
Their sky their home

“Master, why did you strike me!“
No-​​I asked in great pain
No longer still or awe­some like a mountain

And Master Hsueng answered:
    “When you grasp after noth­ing
    You make it an object
    Outside Mind-​​Body

    You break the flow between void
    And form
    Form and void
    You cat­e­go­rize nothing!”

Thwack came the bam­boo stick
    Back down on No-I’s shoulders

No-​​I did not Awaken
        For two more years

by Douglas Pinson

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