“I need a hundred years between each utterance… “

Deep in the mountains.

I brought no camera, no sketchbook.

Like this Buddha rupa beside its mossy stream,

it is sufficient just to be here.

I need a hundred years

between each utterance-

to clarify and settle thought-

to make the plain poetic,

and the poetic plain.

Breathing in: open-hearted.

Breathing out: open-minded.

Just keep asking yourself, “What do I know?”

Be very patient. You will sit for a long time.

Birds will come and go, but the sky remains.

Soft sunlight,

gentle air.

No one hurries.

Poetry By K. Brobeck. Nashville, Tennessee
“I’m inspired by two things: beauty and ideas. The first reassures. The second is like the sand in the oyster.” Oversouled

Kindly contributed to Zen Moments by the author.

Buddha Photographs are kindly made available under a creative commons licence through Flickr:

Buddha in Black by Liam Higgins
Cambodia ’08 – 136 – Angkor Thom – Bayon by mckaysavage
Peace in the face of a dark windy dusk by Natashalatrasha
Buddha by Two Roses
Thailand: Wat Traphang Ngoen, Sukhothai by Taiger808

The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain

By Cold Mountain (Han Shan)

“My place is on Cold Mountain
perched on a cliff beyond the circuit of affliction
images leave no trace when they vanish
I roam the whole galaxy from here
lights and shadows flash across my mind
not one dharma comes before me
since I found the magic pearl
I can go anywhere, everywhere it’s perfect ”

Cold Mountain by Han Shan