In Place 40

40

Horses and bison tread
past her south window at dawn;
she pulls back the east shade.
how many days without sun?





The few mornings the old woman has awakened at the hut instead of the house have been notable for a certain quiet sublimity, especially in winter, with the small creek roaring nearby. One could say that in the exurbs one can experience something of what Chinese hermits go to remote mountains for, but then, one should be able to practice anywhere without making distinctions, yes?

By blue waters, in green hills are places to stroll quietly; near valleys, under trees are places for clearing the mind. Beholding impermanence, do not ignore it, for it encourages the mind to search the Way.
-- Keizan, "Instructions on How to Do Pure Meditation" (tr. Nearman)