Love's Fool
The beautiful poem appeared in my newsfeed today. I’m not one for poetry and usually, I’m more inclined to skip anything related to it. But I could not help but read this one because it’s by Chogyam Trungpa, one of the most amazing lamas of our time, who set the stage for so many other contemporary lamas, inspired countless beings onto the Dharma path and created hundreds of teachers for the preservation of the Buddhist lineage and teachings.
I want to share the poem with you, and hope you will see in it a deeper meaning, beyond the platonic, Hollywood-esque ideas of love that dominate our mediascape today. Chogyam Trungpa, in his infinite wisdom, weaves in teachings on impermanence, emptiness, compassion, expectations, projections and attachment in such a beautiful way.
For another poem by Chogyam Trungpa, this time with an analysis, check out Rinpoche’s incredible teaching here on How to Know No.
Love.
What is love?
What is love.
Love is a fading memory.
Love is piercingly present.
Love is full of charm.
Love is hideously in the way.
Explosion of love makes you feel ecstatic.
Explosion of love makes you feel suicidal.
Love brings goodliness and godliness.
Love brings celestial vision.
Love creates the unity of heaven and earth.
Love tears apart heaven and earth.
Is love sympathy.
Is love gentleness.
Is love possessiveness.
Is love sexuality.
Is love friendship.
Who knows?
Maybe the rock knows,
Sitting diligently on earth,
Not flinching from cold snowstorms or baking heat.
O rock,
How much I love you:
You are the only loveable one.
Would you let me grow a little flower of love on you?
If you don’t mind,
Maybe I could grow a pine tree on you.
If you are so generous,
Maybe I could build a house on you.
If you are fantastically generous,
Maybe I could eat you up,
Or move you to my landscape garden.
It is nice to be friends with a rock!
So what do you think? Is it nice to be friends with a rock? Let me know!
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2 Comments → “Love’s Fool”
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Interesting poem. I am dumbfounded by its elusive meaning. All I can say is that love can inspire one to be better person or it can destroy someone who yearns for it and it can certainly make a green jealous monster of some people too.
Nice poem, I agree with David’s comment. Rocks can’t love you back or be attached to anything, that’s why they’re so cool. Also, we’re probably not good enough for them anyways.