Zen Death Poetry

[zenmonk_genryu]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

i enjoy dogen's writings quite a bit. for a lay person, he's had a tremendous influence upon Buddhism, especially in the West.

Thanks for the Dogen. Nice to see it here. One correction though. Dogen was an ordained monk, not a lay person.

[Zenda71]

Susma Rio Sep:

I have had the fortune of sitting with several people as they are dying. If I am understanding your questions, which I am interpreting as how to ease someone's passing, I can give you some resources and my personal experience. Hospice is a wonderful system that allows the person to die relatively inexpensively at home. The Zen Hospice Project (http://www.zenhospice.org/) is available in some places. Another interesting source is Stephen Levine's book "Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying." My experience with death is that a person, Buddhist or not, become ready to die. In all of my experiences (with Christians) someone visits them either in a dream or if they are medicated in their "awake" stake. It is usually someone who's gone before them that they trust ... almost a guide to the afterlife. I also found people to get very calm before they go. In all cases, the person had the chance to see almost all (if not all) of their loved ones before submitting to death. Presence is the most powerful thing you can give anyone about to die. And giving them permission to let go. My mother did that for her mother, who was suffering dreadfully. (It is a scene that I will never forget. It showed me so clearly that our lives are self-willed ...).

Another odd phenomenon for me anyway ... those who have died have visited me on the night of their death. Real or imagined? I don't know. The common myth from my culture is that the dead hang around for 40 days after their death to visit their relations and close old business.

Interesting stuff ...

With metta,
ZW

p.s. I like this one best ...

"Life as we
Find it - death too.
A parting poem?
Why insist?"

-Ta-hui Tsung-kao

[17th Angel]

Inhale, exhale
Forward, back
Living, dying;
Arrows let flown each to each
Meet midway and slice
The void in aimless flight
Thus I reurn to the source..

- Gesshu Soko.

Empty-handed I entered the world
Barefoot I leave it.
My coming, my going
Two simple happenings.
That got entangled.

- Kozan Ichikyo.

(this one is for snoopy and Ciel.)

O

- Shinsui


For the Samurai to learn.
There's only one thing,
One last thing -
To face death unflinchingly.

- Tsukahara Bokuden.
(not his death poem but still nice... lol)

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by 17th Angel

(this one is for snoopy and Ciel.)

O

- Shinsui

Hi 17th,

Thanks (or gassho) for the death poetry. One question: do you know something my doctor isn't telling me?

s.

[Ciel]

Originally Posted by 17th Angel

(this one is for snoopy and Ciel.)

O

- Shinsui

A candle is made to become entirely flame
In that annihilating moment
it has no shadow.

- c -

[17th Angel]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Hi 17th,

Thanks (or gassho) for the death poetry. One question: do you know something my doctor isn't telling me?

s.

Haha no, just from the "whats new with you." thread...

Originally Posted by Ciel

A candle is made to become entirely flame
In that annihilating moment
it has no shadow.

- c -

Thats a really awesome quote.