The birds have vanished into the sky,
And now the last cloud drains away.

We sit together, the mountain and me,
Until only the mountain remains.

Li Po    701-762
Li Po is one of the most acclaimed poets in the history of Chinese poetry in the mid-Tang Dynasty that is often called the “Golden Age.”

This short poem offers a great example of ‘presence’ and hints at non-duality.

 

I’ve come to the house of the Immortals:
In every corner, wildflowers bloom.
In the front garden, trees
Offer their branches for drying clothes;
Where I eat, a wine glass can float
In the spring water’s chill.

From the portico, a hidden path
Leads to the bamboo’s darkened groves.
Cool in a summer dress, I choose
From among heaped piles of books.
Reciting poems in the moonlight,
Riding a painted boat…
Every place the wind carries me is home.

Yu Xuanji   843-868

Yu Xuanji a Late Tang Dynasty Chinese poet. She is distinctive for the quality of her poems, including many written in what seems to be a remarkably frank and direct autobiographical style; that is, using her own voice rather than speaking through a persona. She is one of relatively few early female Chinese poets whose works have been preserved.

When one is at peace, everything cooperates in filling our needs and offering contentment.