Crossing to Benzaitendo

Benzaitendo is a temple named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, and creative arts.

I had the opportunity while living in Okinawa and then again visiting Okinawa in 2011 to visit the temple.
The temple was built in 1502, and houses ancient manuscripts gifted by the King of Korea to the King of the Ryukyuan Islands.
I hope you enjoy the picture and the accompanying poetry.

Crossing to Benzaitendo

A leap of faith, a step of hope,

crossing to Benzaitendo.

A traverse of an ancient moat

along a bridge of stone I go.

In search of bygone manuscripts

gifted from a long dead king.

The words were whispered from his lips.

“Behold the truth” an angel sings.

What secret will the words unveil?

Will I return a different man?

My eyes will see, my mouth will tell

the  mystery of this ancient land.

In the center of the temple

lay the book upon a stone,

it’s binding frayed and simple,

it’s pages brown and over-worn.

As I read aloud with every breath,

the words passed down spoke loud and clear;

the joy of love, the pain of death,

the knowledge of five thousand years.

The wisdom of the erudite king,

to follow in his righteous plan.

It’s love, it's trust, it's everything. 

It's how we treat our fellow man.

A choice to make, yes you must know,

to do your best and lend a hand.  

Crossing to Benziatendo…

my journey to a foreign land.

A Gift From Angkor Wat

A simple Buddhist pendant to wear around my neck is a small part of this blog.  I have requested it from my sister who is in Cambodia.  Her destination is Angkor Wat, once a Hindu temple built within a city, and then later a Buddhist temple.  Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world.  A temple of the highest order, a religious mecca.  From this temple a simple Buddhist pendant lays wait with my name upon it.  That's the small part of this story.

The larger chapter of this story is my journey into Buddhism.  The steps along the way for me personally to remember and live within the moment.  To remember to breathe and exhale with purpose, and to pay it forward.  I constantly remind myself to live in the present.  The past cannot be changed, and the future is not to worry over, as only the present will guide my steps into the future.

A cup of tea, a clear mind, and living my life in a way that is beneficial to myself and the universe is my choosing.  That is the larger chapter in my life.  How many chapters I have left is unimportant.  If asked what Zen is, I will reply Zen is now.  Zen is the coolness of the air I breathe in.  Zen is the warmth of the air as I breathe out.  

The Buddha will travel a long distance to find my necklace, his new home.  My wish is that he is happy with me, and I with him.

A poem perhaps to reflect upon and close my blog for tonight.

The Nothingness of Tea

Now is all I have

as tea is in the making

unimportant past and future

leave me recalling Zen

Quietly exhaling the day in to air

no words need be spoken

between friends

who met by chance

The tea cup offered

thick green froth

steaming hot

rejuvenating my soul

Bittersweet warmth

kindness between friends

I realize

now is all I have

Sentient

A butterfly visited me this morning by the pool. He stopped long enough to let me take his picture, then I gently cupped him in my hands and released him from the enclosed pool.  I think he was tired because he didn't resist his capture.  As he flew away he looked beautiful against the blue sky.  Our host, my sister in law who is a devout buddhist, heard about my encounter and was happy to learn I released him.  "Something good will come of this," she said.