Each one of us was once
A master of innocent presence
A zen master
Born awake and enlightened
We didn’t have to seek it or do inquiry
No meditation necessary
Simply a natural awareness
That required no effort
And with no attempt to hide it
Or to explain it

And upon that innocent presence
Was built a structure called you

At first it seemed so solid
But as time brought experience
It became unstable
And a longing arose from within

For something more
Something more than this structure

But more will not ever happen
More is an illusion

Only less will bring what is being longed for
A seeing through the structure that was built
And a celebrated return to innocent presence

For the zen master is still in there waiting
That which is true never dies
But may be covered up by that which is false
Remove what is covering the light
And there it is.

Photo by Shelby Miller on Unsplash