one o’clock in the morning,

thunder cracks open

this studious pre-dawn.

thirty-one years of effort

and this dance

still exists between

our practice

and insight.

seekers come

and try to find meaning

where none exists.

students want a degree

hoping they will

no longer suffer.

understanding cannot

help us relate to this world,

Kānhuà chán is the path

of the serious student.

so what are you doing

right now is the question,

the thunder and lightening

illuminate the sky.

do we just pause

and no longer desire?

or do we follow

a path where we 

dress up and act out

a script written by 

the mores of some 

long forgotten asian culture?

is our job to discover

our true voice

or to become a parrot

echoing the sayings of old!

~ wonji dharma