Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Pensive Tuesday: Being Ordinary

Today I just have a little poem by the wandering Zen guy Layman Pang. If you haven't read Pang, you should, his simple eloquence is like a glass of fresh water on a hot day!

When mind is original, the
world is original,
Neither form nor openness.
As for form- pay
no attention to it.
As for openness- 
don't hang on to it.
You're not a saint
or a sage.
Just an everyday person,
doing everyday things.

Today I'll be taking some time to walk along our river and look at the "ordinary" plants with an open, and probably happy, mind. Hope you have a wonderful Pensive Tuesday!

(Translation from Chinese: Franz Metcalf) 
(painting: Shell Abstract, MR August 2012, acrylics)

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3 comments:

  1. LithopslandAugust 21, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    What a lovely poem, and painting! :) I agree, everything is beautiful (cacti included). :)

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  2. UnknownAugust 22, 2012 at 3:37 AM

    Succulents are the best! But I am learning to appreciate all sorts of plants. Yesterday, it was sea daisies. Daisies are "ordinary", yet so extraordinary!

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