Madam Neoteric

LOOKING AT THE MOON
AND THINKING OF ONE FAR AWAY
by Zhang Jiuling
Heng-t’ang-t’ui-Shih, 618-907 CE

The moon, grown full now over the sea,
Brightening the whole of heaven,
Brings to separated hearts
The long thoughtfulness of night….
It is no darker though I blow out my candle.
It is no warmer though I put on my coat.
So I leave my message with the moon
And turn to my bed, hoping for dreams.

by Li Bai
Heng-t’ang-t’ui-Shih, 618-907 CE

From a pot of wine among the flowers
I drank alone. There was no one with me –
Till, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon
To bring me my shadow and make us three.
Alas, the moon was unable to drink
And my shadow tagged me vacantly;
But still for a while I had these friends
To cheer me through the end of spring….
I sang. The moon encouraged me.
I danced. My shadow tumbled after.
As long as I knew, we were boon companions.
And then I was drunk, and we lost one another.
…Shall goodwill ever be secure?
I watch the long road of the River of Stars.

My well-being, my happiness
Depends very much on you,
And your well-being, your happiness,
Depends on me.
I am responsible for you,
And you are responsible for me.
Anything I do wrong,
You will suffer,
And anything you do wrong,
I have to suffer.
Therefore,
In order to take care of you,
I have to take care of myself.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

The voice of the Great Spirit is heard
In the twittering of the birds,
The rippling of mighty waters,
And the sweet breathing of flowers.
If this is Paganism,
Then at present,
At least,
I am a Pagan.

— Gertrude Simmons Bonnin

You cannot harm me,
You cannot harm
one who has dreamed a dream like mine.

— Dakota saying

How often have you turned away,
Because you feared you might discover
Something terrible about yourself?
How often have you been willing
To look at your face in the mirror,
Without being embarrassed?
How many times have you tried to shield yourself
By reading the newspaper, watching television,
or just spacing out?
That is the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question:
How much have you connected with yourself
at all in your whole life?

— Chogyam Trungpa