Han-shan

With little more
than the clothing
he wore,
a few books,
and the courage
of his convictions,
a naïve Han-shan
chose to live
as a hermit
on Cold Mountain
in 7th century CE
China,
and his celebrated
surviving poetry
amply documents
the ensuing tragedy.
Lonely,
dissatisfied,
filled with doubt
while stubbornly
maintaining
a failed lifestyle,
Han-shan
slowly succumbed
to inadequate diet
and chronic illness.
Forgoing all
contrived abstinence,
all austerities,
the present
naïve rustic
points directly to
the ancient lair
of the egoless
existential dragon;
persistently
points the way
to uncreated
absolute
Pure Being.
- A.T. Williams
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