By Ashok Bhargava
How can I be
my own tree, my own roots,
my own branches, my own leaves,
my own seeds and flowers
in the morning of my own sun.
How can I be
my own sanctuary
my own doorway, my own windows,
my own back alley, my own main road
in the nights of my own moon.
Deep down inside I am my own Self
a seed
capable to decay to germinate
to give life to new trees.
Without you
I am not
who I am.
* The Bodhi Tree is an ancient sacred fig tree in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became Buddha. Interestingly, emperor Ashok’s stone stab marks the exact spot where the Buddha sat under the tree. It is called the Vajrasana (literary “diamond throne”). Bodhi Tree and the spot where Buddha sat are now enclosed by stone fencing.
