SOUL OF GARMENT

SOUL OF GARMENT

(A poem of natural wisdom)

I

Am cloud

 

I

Am pure and flawless

Cloud

 

I

Am cloud

 

I

Am your plain and unornamented

Garment

 

I

Am not

Warm sunshine

Illuminating grand earth

Nurturing the growth of all creatures 
 

I

Am not

The vast and boundless earth

Profound virtues supporting creations

Open heart

 Kind, broad


 

I

Am not

Rushing and soaring rivers and lakes

Descending for thousands of miles

With momentum

Majestic, strong

 

I

Am not

Towering mountains

Standing high in the clouds

Wills

Firm, self-renewing

 

I

Am not

Glittering mountain flowers

Dancing in wind

Spreading

Fragrant charm

 

I

Am not

The babbling brook

Water pieces splashing

Light

Merrily singing

Yet

I

Know

I

Am your plain and unornemented

Garment

 

I

Nuzzle up to you 

Blue sky

Immense prairie

Boundless sea

all

Roam around

Me

 

My heart

As calm as water

 

I

Know

 

I

Am your plain and unornemented

Garment

 

 

Every time

When I fly in the infinite sky

Body dyed with the glow of sunshine

The colour blood red

The same as fire

Ride

In the immense sky

Just like

The phoenix bathing in flames

Humankind

Praises me

Humankind

Cheers for me

 

Humankind

With fire-burning passions

Burst

 Throughout the universe

My

Pure heart

As calm as water

 

I

Know

 

I

Am your plain and unornemented

Garment

 

 

With the milk of

Great love

You nurture me

 

And I

Will use the glory of a cloud

To show your

Boundless great love

 

Perhaps

Not for long

I will be blocked

By rings of

Mountain ranges

 

Perhaps

Not for long

I will be

Shredded into pieces

By wild west wind

Change appearance

Perhaps

Not for long

I will be splintered, thrown away

By thunder, lightening

 

Not a word, not a breath,

Scatter

Fade

 

In the passing

Days and nights

 

In the rapidly changing

Space

 

My heart

Remains as calm as water

Never panicking



I know

I am you

 

I

Am your hair

 

I

Am your skin

 

I

Am your flesh

 

I

Am your blood

 

I

Am your bone

 

I

Am your marrow

 

I

Am your spirit

 

I

Am your soul

 

I

Am your image

 

I

Am your display

 

I

Am your faithfulness

I

Am your plain and unornemented


Garment

 

Your

White cloud

Will use its

Pure, flawless

Plain, unornemented

Life

 

To play

For the sky, earth and the world

 A symphony

Of returning to naturalness

 

Let the righteous energy

Derived from the roots of life

among the universe

bloom

 

I

Am cloud

 

I

Am pure and flawless

Cloud

 

I

Am cloud

 

Ah, nature

 

I

Am your plain, unornamented

Garment

 

By Shanlin-Tzu