The Land of Bodhicitta - by Geshe Losel
We are delighted to share this month's blog, a poem titled The Land of Bodhicitta written by Geshe Losel. Named after a retreat hut located in the Pyrenees, in beautiful words, he reflects on the evolution of the world and the Buddhist path. We hope you find his words inspiring as we embrace the turning of the year.
British born Geshe Tenzin Losel received full ordination as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan tradition from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1994. He is one of the handful of Westerners trained for two decades in the traditional Tibetan way as a geshe. A graduate of the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, he attended many teachings by His Holiness there. In 2006 he received his geshe degree from Drepung Loseling, the monastery where the late Geshe Damchos, founder of Lam Rim Wales also trained.
Bodhicitta is, for others sake, the wish for perfect, full enlightenment.
The katag, mentioned in the poem, is the white ceremonial silk scarf used by Tibetans on all occasions of greeting, parting, congratulating, commiserating, honouring.
The Land of Bodhicitta
by Geshe Losel
On our sibling voyagers of Venus and Mars,
Two glimmers aglow in our race round the sun,
But atmosphere boiling, else leaked out to space,
The sweet or salt waters of life no more run.
From wave-weaving waters, encrustings of earth,
From red-rousing fire, outgassings of air,
This indigo-emerald, life-coloured world,
A base fit to flourish, to bring forth and bear.
Through tribolyte, crinoid, stromatolite mats,
Cooksonia, cycad and ammonites whorled,
Neanderthal, quagga and mammoths great-tusked,
As one tendril shrivelled, yet others unfurled.
With four billion years flown of life drinking deep
This goblet of riches, a newfangled kind—
Of homo and femina sapientes—
A base where might flourish the full play of mind.
To whom Shākya’s son came with black begging bowl.
We welcomed him in and we offered him rice,
Beneath our broad shade tree, beside our mud hut
Blessed in that rare instant, we knelt for advice.
We’ll be brave for Buddhahood, look not for less.
We tuned ear and tongue, lifted speech into song,
We tamed the wild aurochs, we tamed the wild grains,
Tame we our wild minds now, life’s moment’s not long.
The vows bodhisattvas teach we take once more,
To lead wand’ring mothers to freedom the aim.
But hampered our hopes… for our comfort’s in fire;
Though tipping points tip now, our pact is with flame.
The chances earth gave us to take birth like this!
The vows Buddha gave us, our minds with his linked!
But fortunes revolve till just imprints remain
Ephem’ral, inconstant, illusory—extinct?
Though feet will soon fail on this earth where they’ve roamed,
This world or elsewhere, mind unfailing rove on
Till deep deeds of kindness its wisdom release
And bright be the light of a Bliss-Love-Gone-One!
No pure land, this haven where teachings touched hearts,
But mother of mothers how precious you’ve been!
Jade green, amber gold, sapphire blue, opal white,
Cloud katags we offer, all-gen’rous jewel-queen.
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