First Stand Up, then Walk Out the Door

A poem shared by Jonathan Prescott on January 25th, 2021, from

Mittakali — Friend Of The Dark

“The first free women: Poems of the Early Buddhist Nuns”, by Matty Weingast, pg 56–57

I was always smart.

If the Path was good,
I figured it would make me
even smarter.

One night while meditating,
I watched my thoughts
piling themselves up
all around me.

My mind built a house
out of all those thoughts-
then filled that house.

One night while meditating,
I watched my thoughts
piling themselves up
all around me.

My mind built a house
out of all those thoughts-
then filled that house.

Soon it was a whole city.
A whole world.

Oh, my beautiful, beautiful thoughts.
Who will look after you after I’m gone?

I swear I could weep.
I could weep for all of you.

My sisters,
Do you really want to be free?

Are you ready to leave behind
all your precious little houses-
and make your home everywhere?

It’s not as hard as you might think.

First stand up.
Then walk out the door.