Yung Ming in The Era of Chi

IHSAN –Yung Ming In The Era of Chi


The Highest Reality declares itself
The teaching, the Supreme Teaching is at large
Roaming the land like a tiger
Wreaking havoc, tearing to bits
The flesh of ignorance, invisible
With its stripes matching the world’s
Utterly wild and uncaught and right now
At your throat


Oh Seeker ! we are talking now
About the meaning of your life
That has been before you from the first
And ran beside you at Sa’ee
And followed silently round the House
And stood with you at the Maqam Ibrahim
Lay on your plate uneaten at Mina
on the Day the meat was dried
the Greater Relief you never knew

Oh Seeker if you wish
the Supreme Teaching
You must relinguish, you give up
All you hare clung to
The breast, the world, the thought
Let go, just for a brief time
Stand back from the arrangement
Stand quite alone and fix within
A clear determination to find the way
Before death closes the lid
On you.

The teaching has been hidden
From the very beginning, draggedout
Into the market place with death the penalty
Not once but many time and in many places
Pao Chi from the area of Chin Ling
But of no fixed abode, eating when he chose
Walked barefoot, held a staff and carried
Mirror, scissors and sword.
Sometimes he sang. The greet and poor
All sat with him. Then one day
In the Yung Mlng era of Chi’i


The Martial Emperor declare the Master
Was deluding the masses and they took him
Bound to th eprison at Chien Kang.
That was a long time ago before the Chosen One Appeared in Arabia

Do you not recognize him, oh Seeker
Who so often has muttered , ‘Seeh knowledge-?
The same tiger’s stripes, the same growl !
As Moulay al-Arabi Ad-Darqawi !
When he came striding out of the Little prison in Fez, his teacher’s den.

Barefoot, staff, mirror, scissors, sword
Oh ! And I forgot to mention –
Free, and wild, smashing the idols
And pointing like the Ancient One
To the great idol saying, “That one did it
Don’t blame me !”

With one word the whole argument is in ruin
­Darqawi spokei it. A1-'Alawi gave it free.

The tiger is loose again, stalking
The Western desert among the great ruins.
If you are not taken in by the 5-year Plan
And the Temple of Learning and the soft music of the Bank. or the mad music
Of the City - make your way
Towards yourself, don't be afraid.

Find out what lies beyond thought
In the open space of open space.
There you will find the great wisdom
The lost riding beast of the mu'min
Strayed into the cave of the Tiger.


Note: This poem paved the way for us to do serious research and study of chinese and zen philosophy with subtle islamic insights. Only until end 2006 we found out the source of this poem- The Blue Cliff Records by Thomas Cleary at Suria KLCC Kikokuniya bookstore.

The North Mountain gather clouds of bewilderment
The South Mountain pour rains of rare wisdom
Have you seen Dr.Anqaravi near Miyazaki village
By the huge Oak tree in the Garden of Abuzhulixin
Attendant petit Masako, ever ready to serve Tea
to all unwary tired foot travellers of Horse Year.