Manju Howard
A Pause Along Our Path
A haiku is not a poem, it is not literature;
it is a hand becoming,
a door half-opened, a mirror wiped clean.
It is a way of returning to nature, to our moon nature,
our cherry blossom nature, our falling leaf nature,
in short, to our Buddha nature.

To what shall I compare this life of ours? Even before I can say it is like a lightning flash or a dewdrop it is no more.
The body is the tree of enlightenment, The mind like a clear mirror stand; Time and gain wipe it diligently,
Don't let it gather dust.
The more you know, the less you understand.
No matter where you go, there you are.
From Enlightened Masters: Zen Master Joshu, born in 778 CE