Lessons from the Perched Buddha

by Hoa Newens

He seems lonely, unattached,
Yet so peaceful.
Surrounded by flowers, birds and bees,
He sits blissfully still on his perch,
Oblivious to the bustle in our yard and nearby roadway.
Amidst life, yet suspended in ethereal space.
With the empty space around him
He’s untouchable by the world.
He is here, yet beyond mundane reach.
Lesson: empty space insulates me from worldly worries.

 
His serene gaze is fixed on me
As I look at him each morning from the breakfast nook.
His venerable presence always facing me,
Though, sometimes I see him, other times I don’t.
I see the Blissful One when I am, here,
I don’t when I’m not.
Lesson: find bliss in being, here.
 
What am I doing?
Daydreaming on a buddha figurine!
Aha!