The Brooklyn Sutras

It doesn’t interest me if there is one God
Or many gods.

I want to know if you belong — or feel abandoned;
If you know despair
Or can see it in others.

I want to know
If you are prepared to live in the world
With its harsh need to change you;
If you can look back with firm eyes
Saying “this is where I stand.”

I want to know if you know how to melt
Into that fierce heat of living
Falling toward the center of your longing.

I want to know if you are willing
To live day by day
With the consequence of love
And the bitter unwanted passion
Of your sure defeat.

I have been told
In that fierce embrace
Even the gods
Speak of God.

by David Whyte

This entry was posted on Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at 10:09 am and is filed under Life, Practice, Zen.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.