Why you call yourself a practitioner? - A Poem

Why you call yourself a practitioner?



By Elio Guarisco

Italy, Milan, 89



Why you call yourself a practitioner

When yu 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 then 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?