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DON'T CONFUSE THIS FOR
TRICK-OR-TREAT
Those who sit
Shouldn't be cowards,
Those who sit
Shouldn't be tricky,
Those who sit
Shouldn't be resourceful,
Those who sit
Should be basic people
Who sit--
But no tricks of
Tricky
Fuzzy
Jumpy
Creepy
Thinking
Funny.
Sitters in the buddhadharma world
Should be decent.
I met a sitter who said
She could build the Buddhist version of Disneyland--
If we would permit her not to sit for at least forty-five minutes.
I met a sitter who said,
"I could ape like a monkey, growl like a tiger;
I could huff and puff and get lots of money for Vajradhatu--
If you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five minutes."
I met a sitter who shrieked like a loon,
Who said,
"I don't like what's going on. I never did.
Either I have room to fix things up or I'll quit.
In any case, I want to be acknowledged--
If you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five minutes."
I met a sitter who is a foogy-doogy owl,
Who said,
"Come to think of it,
I don't like the administration because they make me sit.
On the whole, I prefer not to be manipulated by the establishment.
I feel fooled and conned, wretched and abused.
I prefer not to see the daylight--
If only you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five
minutes."
I met a sitter who has developed a snout like a jackal,
Who said,
"I would like to collect the crumbs;
I would like to explore them,
So that I could feel whether the Vajrayana makes sense.
These crumbs of Hinayana and Mahayana are worthwhile.
I prefer to regurgitate, and I would be delighted to eat up my own
vomit,
And quite possibly I could take it home in lunch-packs
And have a good holiday--
If only you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five
minutes."
I met a sitter who is a prairie dog,
Who said,
"This madhyamika logic and Buddhist reasoning is like eating ants
as opposed to collecting nuts.
I don't like theory anyway;
I would like to have nutshells
If only you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five
minutes."
I met a sitter who is an oily cat,
Who said,
"This Vajra Politics is for the stupid seagulls.
I would prefer to meow rather than fly and caw.
I feel threatened by being fed.
I prefer to do my own hunting:
You can swallow a few poisons here and there in hunting--
If only you would permit me not to sit for at least forty-five
minutes."
Many people scheme,
Trying to occupy,
Trying to use logical mind.
But when you sit,
These schemes begin to turn into cow's dung.
Which might have good manure possibilities.
Other than that,
We find nobody has developed the lucky strike.
We have to keep on sitting,
All the time.
Sit all the time.
Day time.
Night time.
Early.
Late.
In the midst of your dream.
Who could care less that you're sitting so much?
Somebody might be thankful that you're sitting so much.
Sunrise.
Sunset.
Good days.
Bad days.
Making a mockery of your self-indulgence and ingenuity.
Good manipulation
Good reestablishment
Of your missing the point in the midst of your own yawn.
Fundamentally there are no sympathizers who will accept your lucky
wormstrike:
Lucky cozychickengooddumplinghoneylakeincrediblygoodmassage
goodbreakgoodbreathingspaceallareyourtricksanyway.
Nobody gets anybody.
Good wasabi.
We pre-smart you before you outsmart us.
Everybody knows what you're trying to get at.
All the tricks are predictably silly.
So let us celebrate in our silly tricks--
Hallelujah!
Corny tricks and trips are bad noodles.
Try better next time,
If you can at all.
22 March 1978
Vajradhatu Seminary
Dixville Notch, New Hampshire
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