Rev. Danny Fisher

Today’s quote is from Gary Snyder, the prolific and Pulitizer Prize-winning Beat poet, essayist, and environmentalist, whose work often focuses on the Buddha-dharma. In addition, he lived for many years as a Zen monk in Kyoto, and was the basis for one of Jack Kerouac’s most enduring creations: “Japhy Ryder” in The Dharma Bums.  This is it–his poem “Avocado”:

The Dharma is like an Avocado!
Some parts so ripe you can’t believe it.
But it’s good.
And other parts hard and green
Without much flavor,
Pleasing those who like their eggs well-cooked.

And the skin is thin,
The great big round seed
In the middle,
Is your own Original Nature -
Pure and smooth,
Almost nobody ever splits it open
Or tries to see
If it will grow.

Hard and slippery,
It looks like
You should plant it – but then
It shoots out thru the
fingers -

gets away.