“Samsara” is mind
based on exclusion, affliction, and delusion.
“Nirvana” is mind
without exclusion, affliction, and delusion.
Samsara, when seen as not-Nirvana,
is experienced as Samsara.
Samsara, when seen as just Samsara,
is experienced as Nirvana.
With regards to experience,
it can go one way or the other,
but never both at the same time,
and no other way at any given time.
With regards to existence,
there is no real difference
(whatsoever!)
between Samsara and Nirvana,
between Nirvana and Samsara.
Ordinary sentient beings,
so hopelessly unawakened,
such as you and I,
are forever caught up in Samsara,
eternally wishing it were Nirvana.
Ordinary sentient beings,
so hopelessly unawakened,
such as you and I,
don’t even know that they don’t know
that Samsara is just Samsara.
Buddha and Bodhisattvas,
The Awakened One and awakening ones,
teach us one thing and one thing only:
that Samsara is just Samsara.
Buddha and Bodhisattvas,
The Awakened One and awakening ones,
moved by motherly love,
point the way out of
the wilderness of Samsara,
so that their children may arrive
again at home in Nirvana.
Buddha and Bodhisattvas,
The Awakened One and awakening ones,
do not abandon Samsara,
for some other world named “Nirvana”.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
The Awakened One and awakening ones,
are forever bound to Samsara,
as the midwives of Nirvana.
When you make a home in the wild,
wilderness will overturn it,
that’s just a matter of time.
When you make home with the wild,
even wilderness cannot overturn
the home you always feel inside.
Holopoiesis 