Elio Guarisco
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you take advantage of the kindness of others
Without ever repaying it?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you do not know even how to repay the kindness of your father and mother
For the kindness they have shown to you?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you only follow your own selfish desires
And do not care of other’s needs?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you pursue only your own profit without any consideration
For the harm you cause to others?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you care for others
Only for the advantage you can get from them?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you denigrate those
Who cannot give you anything?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When to save you face
You do not hesitate to lie?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When unload the heavy works on others
And take on only those the light ones?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you make the final sprint to appropriate
Of the merit of other’s work?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you do not recognize
The humanity in others?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When at the others criticism from
You answer is “Their wrong view!”
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you blame others for
Your own faults and misfortune?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When behind a false humility
You hide the greatest pride?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you think that you do not need the master
But in fact you are only a balloon inflated with pride
On which not even a drop of a good quality remains?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you do not see your defects
But only speak of the defects of others?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When in the fangs of the lord of the passing time
You make preparations to live for centuries?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you are just a tiny particle in the universe yet
You consider yourself the most important?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When attached to everything
You are unable to give up even a needle?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you behave like a dog
But you boast a divine outlook?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you are always distracted but
Resort to arguments to prove that you are always aware?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you think to be independent and
In no need of the community of seekers of truth?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you talk a lot of the primordial state
But you do not live in it?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you resemble a wild beast,
Yet, you preach the calm state?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you have no whatsoever experience of contemplation
And despite this, you pretend to guide others?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you become excited only for mundane things
And you are tired at the teaching?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you do not know how to discern the true sense of the teaching
From its external frame?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you just glanced at the ocean of the teachings of the masters
But boast to know everything?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When after years of “spiritual retreats”
Your heart is still hard like rock?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When to receive the attention and respect of others
You are ready to affirm as true what you do not know?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you have never revered the master with the heart
But preach the proper way to relate to him?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When pride never allowed you
To surrender to the smile of the father?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When the idea of dakinis fascinate you
More than the face of your actual teacher from which these dakinis manifest?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you live in the presence of the master and yet
You search for visions of deities and are fascinated by powerful mantras?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you have never spent a day in retreat
And speak as if you have attained realization?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When you only look at women’s arses
And you forget that they have the nature of wisdom?
Why you call yourself a practitioner
When the moods of a woman throw you
From the joy of heaven
To the suffering of hell?
*** Italy, Milan, 89
Photo by Dzogchen Community of Ukraine.
