Night in Kalapa

"Night in Kalapa"

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

This time it happened
Caught in a thunderstorm,
Spun and twirled,
Dizzy,
Happy,
I was caught off guard.
This whirlwind took my heart.

I needed everything to fall apart
Like feathers from a pillow
Tossed high into the sky.
Everything comes falling down,
Gliding on a breeze caught in its own time
Energy that can't be measured.

Comet shoots across my existence.
This wonderful force does not know where it will go.
I need things to fall apart,
I want things to fall apart.
All through time, all through the day
I have held on and held on tight.
Now everything falls apart.

The sun and the moon know how to fall apart.
Spring knows how to be summer
Autumn leaves know how to fall down.
Can I be like the seasons
And know that falling apart
Is the movement of time,
The movement of life?

I have not given up,
I have simply woken up.
This wild burst of energy
Wants to twirl and spin,
It wants mayhem.

I am mayhem
Claustrophobia self-liberated,
Hesitation with a friend called fathomlessness.
I am that smile that shines across the sky.
If you look up, you will see me
And fall apart.

2001

Snow Fell Twice, The Sun Always Shone

"Snow Fell Twice, The Sun Always Shone"

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Incorrigible state of bewilderment,
You make retreat life possible.
Desolate green grass, rolling far beyond;
Spring can see the clarity of dew-dropping morning cherries.
Achiness that comes from the fourth session
Leaves me humbled and inspired.
Opening the front door,
A gust of wind, round and billowing
Cold at the edges, warm and forceful at the center
Comes gushing in
Happiness pervades my entire body.
My joints feel achy
Slouch and sit straight up.
The shrine is messy, haphazard
Ordered and neat beyond my understanding
Simplified to a level of doubt.
Lighting the first candle,
I smell the sulfur of apprehension.
The delight of spark and flame
My end of the world becomes illuminated:
So simple, so mine, so obvious.
Basking in a moment of loneliness,
I watch the bright light of sun
Slide and mesmerize.
Early morning view:
A spider has crawled into the sink.
Plastic flaps, cold air seeps in
Karma is caused by a moment of agitation.
In the distance I hear the labored activity
Of a small bird making its home in a tree.
Gentle breezes sway the green grass
And common song is sung.
Meditating on a rock has made me soft;
Smelling wildflowers has hardened my understanding.
Delight in a small crease where rice has fallen
Delight in a space
Time has become smooth and sweet.
Rise, drink bitter tea
Light a piece of broken incense
Life is full of retreat.

1992