In the clear light of this morning,
calendarless, if not timeless, this lone flicker
appreciates water that is not frozen,
pecks the full feeder and pays this
first day of the year no mind.
Zen and Daoist meditators attempt to reach a state of “no mind.” It is called Mushin in Japanese and Wuxin in Chinese. I learned about it in Zen study where it was described as “mind without mind” – a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything. It is translated by D.T. Suzuki as “being free from mind-attachment.”
A friend posted this new song today and it does seem to work with this poem.
Writing the Day 