You Can't See the Whole Sky Through a Bamboo Tube.

You can't see the whole sky through a bamboo tube. ~Japanese proverb

The perceptions of our daily life are like looking up into the vast, detailed night sky through the confines of a bamboo tube and stating definitively that we have an accurate picture of its reality. The bamboo tube is akin to our perceptions of the world, which are seemingly real holograms of reality based on ignorance that we are separate from everything else. Perceptions that place us at the center of a world that has no center. Perceptions limit us to only what we can perceive with our limited sense organs (sight, smell, touch, taste, sound).

We are like ants living amongst humans and having no idea to that greater existence other than perhaps feeling the vibrations of cars passing nearby the ant mound. We go about our day and busy ourselves with activities, which seem so monumental and yet seem primitive when seen by a species with a deeper awareness of reality. Or being observed by a being such as a Buddha. This wonderful ant analogy was revealed to me by the great theoretical physicist Michio Kaku:

~Peace to all beings~

Haiku: Literary Meditation.

I write a lot of haiku and enjoy reading them just as much. Haiku seems to fit Buddhism and Zen in general quite well due to the stripped down structure and word usage. A good Haiku in my view is one, which grabs your attention by way of several impressions upon one or more of the senses. In addition, one, which paints a picture but then, presents a concluding line, which pulls the poem together for a feeling of balance.

This gives the reader a sense of closure to the scene and without the contrasting yet somewhat parallel ending it leaves the reading feeling abandoned. Thus, Haiku in my view is similar to the Buddhist/Taoist concept of oneness where two seemingly dissimilar concepts connect to form a well-rounded view of the present reality experienced at the time the writer experienced it. The first two lines provide a detailed, micro, mindful scene with a more open-ended conclusion to leave you with something to contemplate upon further.

Also, I find that writing a haiku is like a meditation as you contemplate a scene in your mind you must be very mindful of the sounds, smells, sights and sensations upon the skin. Only having a few words to use channels the author’s focus so that each word is mindfully chosen to give the haiku a clean, simple, yet strong and insight provoking essence. Its short form eliminates unnecessary wording, which can take away from the focused insight that haiku is so appreciated for. It makes haiku easily digestible for our scattered minds. In longer poetry the mind tends to wander and miss words, thus missing the essence of the writing. Haiku, like Zen Buddhism strips away the clutter to get right to the heart of things. No unnecessary distractions.

Since traditionally Haiku include nature as a theme it is like having the essence of nature anywhere you might find yourself such as in a big city where nature is very limited in between the concrete and steel. Haiku allows you to be right in the middle of a Japanese garden while riding the subway. In addition, being simple and concise also enables you to be in that Japanese garden but still remain quite aware of your present surroundings. That's the great thing about haiku meditation. Its form lends itself well to maintaining a Buddhist mindset even in our fast paced world where we don’t have as much time to contemplate more in-depth Dharma talks as often as we might want. In closing I wanted to leave you with my latest haiku:

shrine bamboo fountain

water descends drain pipe
monk washes old hands

~Peace to all beings~

Haiku Heaven.

I recommend listening to each video for a few minutes to relax and center yourself before reading each corresponding haiku below it. Trust me, it's worth it. Also, try turning up the volume for a more realistic experience:

crashing thunder roars
rain drops softy rush downward
tan leaf floats rapids


clear shimmering stream
gurgles bamboo wind chime song
veiled destination


jungle leaves pulse green
natural orchestra plays
enjoy being lost

-Haiku by James R. Ure

~Peace to all beings~

CREDIT: Hiyeizan Temple, Kyoto, Japan by Okinawa Soba