Raven Cries

Raven cries, "Stop thinking!"
Mountain wind in murmuring hemlock, 
"Stop trying not to think!"
Down here in 
fern forest shadows,
"stop thinking"  and "stop trying 
not to think"
are precisely the same practice.
The valley of Wu Wei is lovely and green,
humming with stillness.
Silt settles in the stream.
Problems vanish by themselves.
No need to touch the surface or the depth.
This we call, "Stop thinking."
Rest on the river bank and listen 
to the music of far-off melting snow.
This we call, "Stop trying not to think."
To see who is looking 
and hear what listens
is effortless but 
not so easy.
White waters of silence
tumble over 10,000 stones.

Photo: Took this on a hike at Mt. Rainier