Gift Wrapping

Likewise, the supreme Reality, which is One,
Appears to be two.

Through Her,
The absolute Void became the primal Person;
And She derived Her existence from Her Lord.

Shiva formed His beloved Himself;
And without Her presence,
No person exists.


There is something missing in this poem. The thing that Buddhism emphasizes is not the no self, nor the self. This poem has nothing of this transcendence: First there is the supreme being, and now we have the no person.

When we look at the implications of these statements, then we see the nature of the two systems. This poem is about “knowing”, this is true, but it does not bring the fullness of the implications of what this means to beinghood.

First we have formless, and no person, then absolute void. But again, there is the shifting to one side and then the other. But, neither side will contain the truth. This is what is lacking.

I suppose that we could pretend, that the truth does not require this examination of selfhood from the implications of dependent origination. Or, that somehow these implications are visible within the words of this poem. But, that would be a fair amount of pretending, which I find unwarranted as this poem stands.

When you begin to see beyond the limitations of an experience of the absolute truth, into what its meaning and implications are toward daily living, then perhaps you will begin to understand the inner depth of the meaning to which to Buddha address himself.