Dhammic Socialism
if you break down the teachings...
of Jesus, Buddha, and all the great
spiritual teachers...
looked at their lives,
and their paths,
would this not be it?
break down prejudice,
profit, and materialism...
to the core of our beings,
we are family.
we need each other,
need to be needed by each other.
compassion demands
that we are responsible!
the fact that we allow
people to go hungry,
to be homeless,
to suffer...
while we seek to acquire
with insatiable thrust...
is nauseating!
the fact that we go to war
over territories and oil...
killing women and children,
is atrocious!
we are part of each other...
individual parts,
but parts of the whole.
we are responsible,
to and for each other.
not nations, not parties,
but communities,
involved, living
to and for each other...
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Our Level Of Responsibility!
our level of responsibility
far deeper than our occasional
stabs at compassion, and truth...
when we sit down to eat, and eat
far more than we need, and throw
the leftovers out... we are
responsible fot the hungry!
when we go to sleep at night, in
houses too big and too plush, we
are responsible for the homeless...
when we drive our SUV's around for
no reason at all, burning excess
gas, we are responsible for the
oil spills...
when we vote people in office,
whose agenda is profit at all costs,
we are responsible for countries
invaded...
when we turn our backs and walk away,
or stick our heads in the sand, we are
responsible for the loss of human rights...
when we allow the banning of books, and
legislation against free speech, we are
responsible for ignorance, and allow
ourselves to be enslaved!
responsible, every thought, every intent,
every action!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Church Street Bomb blast
Forgive
forgive them
who set the bomb
slaughtering nineteen people
wounding and maiming two hundred more
who sit in parliament with blood on their hands
being responsible in ordering numerous killings,
not being held responsible or caring about it now,
killing innocent civilian children, women and men
whose blood, body parts, guts and broken bodies I saw
and now the elements have washed away what was left of some
and yet I will not forget this madness and cruelty, which made man loose all humanity.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Refuse!
i refuse
to accept the lie
anymore!
i know, beyond a doubt,
that all people are equal,
regardless of color, gender,
religion, financial status, or
political beliefs!
i refuse to believe
that i am all right,
when someone else
is hungry, homeless, or hurting.
i refuse to believe
that i am not responsible,
for i am most responsible
when i turn away!
i refuse to believe
that one person's success
can come at the expense of another!
i refuse to settle!
i choose life, and life means living...
involved!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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In Every Way!
how many people are blind?
how many people are deaf?
how many by choice?
perhaps you still have jobs,
homes, food to eat, medical care.
perhaps you have investments,
a way to retire....
perhaps your family is happy,
and well taken care of...
i hope so for you!
millions of people hurting,
millions in need...
millions of children hungry,
millions who cant get an education.
millions enslaved by poverty,
millions left alone....
people with faces and names.
all of these are normal people.
whatever their language, their religion,
their sexual orientation.
all of these are people just like you.
and many of these have families,
just like you!
is it their fault they're victims?
perhaps they've worked their whole lives.
male, female, young, old.....
all people,
with mothers and fathers....
all people....
and no, America is not free.
the news we watch is tainted.
the truth is hidden from us.
killing people around the world
does not make us free....
books are being banned and burned,
prejudice and discrimination are rampant.
we have forgotten we are responsible for each other,
we have forgotten we are all immigrants here.
there are no illegal people,
all people are just people.
freedom demands equality,
in every way!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Battle.... (We Have Fought)
the battle we have fought for so long,
as a 'free' society...
in the name of justice, equality, diversity,
responsibility, and freedom...
has reached the point of decision.
we either move forward no matter
what the cost...
believing the dream is worth the price...
or we crawl back into the cave
of self-fulfillment at the cost of all others.
prejudice and discrimination have gone from color
to religion to sex and sexual orientation,
and now to those enslaved by poverty.
we cannot turn our backs on each other...
we cannot allow the few to destroy the world.
we are responsible, we are a part of each other.
when one is hungry, we are all hungry.
when one family is homeless, we are all homeless.
when one person is a victim
of prejudice, hatred, and injustice...
we all are!
when one eats, all should eat.
when one has a chance to work,
all should have that chance...
when one child gets an education,
all should have that right.
this is the time, and this is the place...
it is now that we must choose!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Right Here, Right Now!
when we buy clothes made in sweatshop conditions
in Asian countries, or elsewhere, because they're
cheaper, we are in fact supporting human rights abuse.
when we buy oil from Arab countries that oppress and
abuse their own people, and regulate women to 'second-
class slavery', we are a part of that oppression.
when we throw away or waste food while children
around the world are starving, we become the cause
of that hunger.
when we drive big suv's and trucks that get less than 15
miles to the gallon, we are the driving force behind the oil
spills!
when we sell away our own people's job's for a bigger profit
overseas, we become the victims of our own greed.
you say we cant fix everything, how can we be responsible?
our country gives more aid than anyone....
we give aid to the countries we profit from.
if we took the money we spent bombing other countries
into submission, and then rebuilding them... and spent it
instead on food and medicine and training for the impoverished...
would we not get a better return? would the rest of the world
hate us as much as it does now?
we are individually responsible for every choice we make, and it's
result! what we eat, what we wear, what we drive, who we vote
for, and whether we vote! ... what we watch on tv, what we read,
whether we take the time to help our neighbors when they need it
(cause believe me your turn will come, it does for all of us) ...
whether we do what we say, whether we give without asking
for anything back...
whether we stand up for education and equality and moral fairness...
and it all begins with being aware, being aware of our responsibility.
we all make mistakes, i've made more than my share... but i'm willing
to get up and try again and again... and to get involved.
it begins right here, right now!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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If (A Buddhist Poem)
if all living beings are by nature Buddha,
then how can we designate worth to one,
and no worth to another?
what makes us think we have the right
to choose?
if all a baby understands are nipple, light,
darkness, and being loved... have we grown
wiser?
if a faithful dog follows us till the day he dies,
only asking to be fed and loved, giving
unconditional love in return...
who is the real master?
if we spend all of our lives in the pursuit
of money and possessions, ... do we own
them, or do they own us?
what happens to them when we die?
if we love someone so much that
we're afraid to let go.... do we really
love them?
if we have food to eat, and a place to sleep...
what else do we really need?
if we have food to eat, and a neighbor
is going hungry... how can we eat?
if prejudice is born of fear... what are we
afraid of? ... them, or our own selves?
if killing is wrong, and war is killing...
why do we keep marching to those infernal
drums, like sheep being led to slaughter?
if all living beings are by nature Buddha...
then how can we not care? ... how can we
use, abuse, and discard? ... how can we
turn our backs and walk away?
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Window
I was staring out the window
The whole time he was talking to me
It was a filthy pane of glass
I couldn't get a clear view
As he went on and on
It wasn't the outside world I could see
Just the filthy pane that I was looking through
So I had to break the window
It just had to be
Better that I break the window
Than him or her or me
I was never focused on just one thing
My eyes got fixed when my mind got soft
It may looked like I'm concentrated on a very clear view
But I'm as good as asleep
I bet you didn't know
It takes a lot of it away if you do
So I had to break the window
It just had to be
Better that I break the window
Than him or her or me
So I had to break the window
It just had to be
Better that I break the window
Than him or her or me
Because the fact in fact
Whatevers in front of me is covering my view
So I can't see what I'm seeing in fact
I only see what I'm looking through
I had to break the window
It just had to be it was in my way
Better that I break the window
Then forget what I had to say
So again I've done the right thing
I was never worried about that
The answer's always been in clear view
But even when the window's clean
I still can't see for the fact
That when it's clean it's so clear
I cant tell what I'm looking through
So I had to break the window
It just had to be
Better that I break the window
Than him or her or me
I had to break the window
It just had to be it was in my way
Better that I break the window
Then forget what I had to say
I had to break the window
It was in my way
Better that I break a window
Then forget what I had to say
Or miss what I should see
Or breaking him or her or me
song performed by by Fiona Apple
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Buddha Within....
Buddha's tears...
on the faces of every
hungry child in the world.
Buddha's emptiness,
in the hearts of every
person who has no home.
Buddha's sorrow,
in the eyes of every
victim of the bombings.
Buddha's silence,
at the roar of every
religious fanatic.
Buddha's compassion,
in the dirt of every
human being fallen.
Buddha's forgiveness,
in the anger of every
person driven by prejudice.
Buddha within,
seeks to evolve!
Buddha within,
just to be!
Buddha within,
already there.
Buddha within,
always has been!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Morning Refuge Prayer
i take refuge in the Buddha
who shows us the path.
i take refuge in the Dharma
that teaches us to walk in compassion.
i take refuge in the Sangha
the family of living beings working together for peace.
i take refuge in Jesus
in the way that He lived and died.
in the Kingdom of Heaven within us
that heals the sick and feeds the hungry.
i take refuge in the Tao
in the uncarved block.
in water flowing over rocks
finding its own way.
i take refuge in the Great Spirit
in the embrace of Mother Earth.
i take refuge in the wind and rain
in the thunder and lightning,
in the stillness of night.
i take refuge in the howl of the wolf,
in the eyes of small children.
in the truth that breaks down the wall
between living and existing, between sorrow and joy.
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Next Step
will my next step
help feed the hungry?
heal the sick?
give solace to the lonely?
find housing for the homeless?
help save the rain forests?
help save mountains and rivers
for my children's children?
stop the killing of whales?
the killing of women and children?
help eradicate prejudice?
stand for freedom and dignity?
bring hope to the hopeless?
well... will it?
poem by Eric Cockrell
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I Hate The Fact
I hate the fact
that one can steal your heart
and leave it broken in many parts
I hate the fact
that one can make you feel
but then you looked he had turned the wheel
I hate the fact
that one can catch your eye
and finally find it was for a while
I hate the fact
that one can sweep you off your feet
into a fantasy that only you could feel
I hate the fact
that when you hear ones name
you remember he was once your dame
I hate the fact
that you had to go
and you left me here with a broken soul
I hate the fact
that love was there
but left me in pain that one cant bare
I hate the fact
that memories hurt
and that nothing ever seems to ever work
I hate the fact
that i cry so much
that everyday i long to feel your touch
I hate the fact
that i cant move on
but maybe its something that can make me strong
poem by Miri Tuecemo
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Country Is Like A Body
When one part sick
All parts look unhealthy
When one part missing
All parts get the impact
When one part is weak
Do other parts only blame and not help to fix it?
When one part is failed
Do other parts only let it fall and not support it?
Even it is often forgotten
It doesn't mean it is not important
Even it is always underestimated
It doesn't mean it could completely be ignored
One part may be incapable
But it doesn't mean all parts can do nothing
One part may be invalid
But it doesn't mean all parts should also give up the spirit
In some incredible moment they are working together
In some unseen place they don't stop to struggle
It may be hard but always raises up the hope
It may be small change but always look forward
poem by Maria Sudibyo
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The Great Sin Of Prejudice Against Color
Children,
who made your skin white?
Was it not God?
Who made mine black?
Was it not the same God?
Am I to blame, therefore,
because my skin is black?
Does it not cast a reproach
on our Maker
to despise a part of His children,
because He has been pleased
to give them a black skin?
Indeed, children, it does;
and your teachers ought to tell you so,
and root up, if possible,
the great sin of prejudice
against color from your minds.
While Sabbath School Teachers
know of this great sin,
and not only do not teach
their pupils that it is a sin,
but too often indulge in it themselves,
can they expect God
to bless them or the children?
Does not God love colored children
as well as white children?
And did not the same Savior
die to save the one as well as the other?
If so,
white children must know
that if they go to Heaven,
they must go there
without their prejudice against color,
for in Heaven
black and white
are one in the love of Jesus.
Now children,
remember what Sojourner Truth has told you,
and thus get rid of your prejudice,
and learn to love colored children
that you may be
all the children of your Father
who is in Heaven.
poem by Sojourner Truth
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fiat voluntas Dei
at the end
we shall not be responsible
for logically
what happened was that
it was God's will
it was Him all along asserting Himself
slowly
in a hurry or whatever
despite the fact
that they always make us feel
that we are responsible
with our own human
will,
at the end
He triumphs
even without us
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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A Rationale God
A Rationale God
It is true there is but one God
It is also true that it is a God for all.
If God loves my children
Then God loves your children.
If God loves me
Then God loves you.
If the above is fact and true
Then there is a God; the children; and me and you.
God does not need a religion or such
Neither do I very much.
God does not have a chosen people
It is the people who have a chosen God.
God would never sanction human suffering
But severly judge those who harm his children.
God loves you and yours and also me and mine
God shares and cares; and at the very least; is fair and kind.
A child is taught and a child does learn
Responsible teachers should question and also discern.
10-30-06 Aho Speak.
poem by AHO Speaks
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Hand To The Plow,2011
sitting outside this morning,
watching it rain.... gathering,
gathering strength from i
know not where...
seems like we're not making
any headway... teetering on
the edge of survival...
this year especially tough...
get it up, get it on...
put your hand to the plow!
all around us people,
all different knids of people,
but people... are struggling,
are in need, are in want....
we are a disjointed family,
watching each other sink!
we have got to become aware,
to break down the walls of division...
the only way out is together...
what we have we have to share!
but there can be no more 'me'
and 'i'... no more self oriented
delusions... we cannot follow greed.
we have to turn our weapons
of destruction into shovels and hoes.
we have to join hands, and do it now.
if you're hungry, i'm hungry!
if you're homeless, i'm homeless!
no more apathy, no more doing nothing!
put your hands to the plow! ....
or get out of the way!
life demands hard working involvement!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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You Just Cant!
you cannot believe in God,
and continue to live in a way
that abuses the living,
that takes from those in need,
that turns its back on those hurting,
that uses people for profit!
that walks away from the hungry,
closes the door on the homeless,
that looks at diverse people
with prejudice...
that kills under any flag!
you just cant...
life itself is sacred!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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I Believe.... (Chant One)
i believe...
that all men and women
are created equal...
equal in worth, dignity,
authority, and sacredness.
that wars, for any reason,
are wrong...
that they constitute murder.
that any government
that oppresses the many
for the good of the few,
should be overthrown!
in nonviolent protest,
and the way of the peacemakers.
that the earth,
and all living beings,
are sacred.
that prejudice is murder,
that the faces of god are many...
and that many,
from various traditions,
have felt the presence of god.
that the path we're called
to walk is individual.
that all true paths are based in compassion.
that the way to truth
begins within...
that we are called to listen,
to get involved, to care,
to offer a helping hand.
that we have an inherent need to love,
and to be loved.
and that whom we love
is our own choice!
that every day we evolve...
that death is a beginning...
that hunger is a sin
against the face of humanity.
that justice should be the same for all.
and that love has a body!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Wind, Rain, And The Eyes!
i went from the shadow of Jesus,
to Tao's uncarved block,
flowing with the water
for over a decade....
to the feet of Buddha,
awareness and universal compassion...
respect for all that lives.
each of them now a part of me,
of who i am and will be.....
but when i thought each the end,
my destination....
came a voice... Go further!
i went from virtue to evil,
to night needs day,
just as day needs night....
and still i was not finished.
i went from addiction to jail,
from jail to books....
each leaving a scar,
each feeding the fire!
i went from love to loss,
from family to old age...
and still i felt the hunger!
and now i've returned
to my primitive spirit,
i hear voices in the wind,
i make love to the rain!
from time to time....
seeing glimpses of God,
in the hungry eyes of children,
in the eyes of the oppressed....
in the eyes of the homeless,
in the eyes of dead bodies,
without home, naked and honest...
in the eyes....
wind, rain, and the eyes!
go further!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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