Many of these haiku refer to specific events that occur during a Vipassana silent meditation retreat. Your enjoyment of these poems may be enhanced by knowing that:
 | With few exceptions, students do not speak during the retreat |
| "Sitting" refers to sitting meditation |
| There are many sessions of walking meditation, in which the retreatant focuses on being fully mindful of each step taken |
| Bells or gongs are struck to summon retreatants to the next activity, or to signal the end of a sitting or walking session |
| A "mudra" is a hand position held during meditation |
| "Chi" is the body's subtle energy |
Indescribable
Ecstasy beyond language
I write anyway
Reality skews
Hands sink into liquid thighs
Is this my body?
Thoughts, clinging, itching
Anything to push away
Pure experience
Another breakthrough
So many enlightenments
So little lifetime
A flood of haiku
Entertainment while sitting
But not why I’m here
Water is silent
Until it meets resistance
How quiet am I?
Up the icy slope
Walking practice – on retreat
You bet I’m mindful!
Build the fire; light it
The day’s big entertainment
At silent retreat
Slow roll from the heel
Weight shifts imperceptibly
Walking to oneness
Suddenly, the bell
My whole body resonates
With each gentle stroke
Lying or floating?
My body is a feather
The gong says: come sit
Eyes open or closed?
Which mudra? Chair or cushion?
You think the void cares?
How fast should I walk?
My feet are smarter than me
I’ll let them decide
Peeling the onion
So many rotten layers
Can the core be pure?
A demon appears!
Too frightened to meditate
I am scared sitless
I give up yearning
For yesterday’s ecstasy
Today is different
A small bell’s chiming
Drowned out by huge bell outside
It’s badly outgonged
Oreo wrapper
In silent retreat trash can
Wonderfully foreign
Head slumped; no mudra
Chi drips from my fingertips
Worst form; best sitting
I’ve strived long enough
Now I relax into God
So much easier!
Turd drops; angels sing
Enlightenment on the john
Don’t forget to wipe!
Before was effort
Now slow walking does itself
One small step for God
Where’d the mind stuff go?
It sure seemed real at the time
Blissful emptiness
Six missed bells today
Is the ringer competing
For the no bell prize?
Do meditation?
No. Meditation does me
I just sit and let
Here is God’s address:
Effortless Avenue
At Stillness Street
Inverse ratio?
Be meditated more
Medicated less
Sit sit sit sit sit
Sit sit sit sit sit sit sit
Sit sit sit sit ah!
I’m walking slow now
Which brings on a new challenge:
Keeping my balance!
Fog enshrouds my soul
Eight days of Buddhist silence
Welcome back, sunshine!