Buddhadasa Bhikkhu Ethical Poems

Jewel in the Lotus, Translated by Santikaro, Bangkok Post, May 19, 2007

Honey bees buzz around scouting for nectar,
the food nature gives them to sustain life,
while we humans grope for something more,
seeking the pure, brilliant gem of the lotus.

This lotus is the supreme sage's holy words:
Look! The pattern of Dharma is everywhere
revealing the most profound meaning far beyond
'self' that we ought to fear, destroy, and disappear.

With practice completed, Nibbana is discovered
by executing defilements, ending all blemishes,
finding the bright, sparkling gem of the heart,
no longer lost in sweet somethings - friends take note.
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