Kathy from Spokane joined us on New Year’s for the Vajrasattva retreat for the second time. At the closing go-around, she shared this little ditty, her “rap song” of the retreat:

Blanketed with crystals of snow,
The saffron sisters and their Abbey monk
Warmly greeted us
As we put away our stuff,
But in orientation we did find out,
There would be no talk, talk, talk.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ho

So who are all these people,
Why are they here?
What’s in their head
and what path do they tread?
Do they have visions of Compassion &
Wisdom dancing in their head?

Boots on boots off, ring that bell.
We do the meditation trot
Over to the hall.
What can we touch? How do we bow?
The Vajrasattva chant goes
A hundred miles an hour.

Many new words foreign to my ear
But it’s on the path, you see,
And that’s why we’re here.

Should I, could I do this on my own?
Chant & visualize (at the same time)—
Got to make it my own.

The nuns and the monk guide us,
A way both playful, funny, and serious
In our Dharma school day.
No question is turned down,
No matter how confusing or tough,
And we are never made to seem small
if we don’t get the stuff.

They gently instruct us,
but their message is tough.
Sticking with this is a must
Or a hungry ghost awaits you
Instead of a Buddha.

If this food is medicine
I wish it every day.
The simple life is wonderful and
Frees our mind.
But when we join our hands
It’s always clear
That causes and conditions
Preceded us here.

We got to know each other
With very few words.
We stepped into each other’s hearts
and minds and shared some honest words.

We all have our work to do.
We helped each other figure a few things out.
We poked holes in our poisons
And let white light rinse them out.

We thank you Dharma teachers
For dedicating your life
To move our souls from wash loads
& negativity, & dust.

You’ve been our earthly refuge
& help us light our fires
so we keep a light on for
Precious Human Lives.

Ah Hum Pey