The Human Route

On this Thanksgiving Day (in the U.S.), I thought it would be appropriate to consider The Human Route, an ancient poem from the Zen tradition.

As we celebrate this holiday, and on every day, may we touch the deep sources of gratitude, that one pure and clear thing.

The Human Route

Coming empty-handed, going empty-handed - that is human.

When you are born, where do you come from?

When you die, where do you go?

Life is like a floating cloud which appears.

Death is like a floating cloud which disappears.

The floating cloud itself originally does not exist.

Life and death, coming and going, are also like this.

But there is one thing which always remains clear.

It is pure and clear, not depending on life and death.

What is that one pure and clear thing?

Photo by Sune Petersen