Open Buddha

On an e-mail list today, this poem by an anonymous 14^th century samurai was posted:

I have no parents:
I make the heavens and earth my parents.

I have no home:
I make awareness my home.

I have no life and death:
I make the tides of my breathing my life and death.

I have no divine power:
I make honesty my divine power.

I have no means:
I make understanding my means.

I have no magic secrets:
I make character my magic secret.

I have no body:
I make endurance my body.

I have no eyes:
I make the flash of lightning my eyes.

I have no ears:
I make sensibility my ears.

I have no limbs:
I make promptness my limbs.

I have no talents:
I make ready wit my talent.

I have no designs:
I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my design.

I have no miracles:
I make “right action” my miracles.

I have no principles:
I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.

I have no strategy:
I make “unshadowed by thought” my strategy.

I have no tactics:
I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.

I have no friends:
I make my mind my friend.

I have no enemy:
I make carelessness my enemy.

I have no armour:
I make benevolence and righteousness my armour.

I have no castle:
I make immovable-mind my castle.

I have no sword:
I make absence of self my sword.