Last month, Buddhists throughout south east Asia, as well as in many other parts of the world, commemorated the enlightenment of the Buddha on the full moon of May.
The Buddha gained enlightenment in 588 BCE. This year marks the 2,600 years of his enlightenment.
On the full moon of May, known as Vesakh, Buddhists also mark the birth and death of the Buddha on the same day.
I regard the Buddha as the greatest Rap Artist of all time. I have written a poem to mark the occasion of 2600 years since his enlightenment.
The Buddha’s enlightenment remind us of the power of one transformed life to inspire countless others to dedicate themselves to waking up.
The Buddha’s Rap
Gotama, Buddha, real cool as they say,
awoke and raved and then pointed the way,
rebels, yogis, and doubters of the day,
get out of names and forms with no delay,
you can change yourself, and the way things were
and feel your power, and say au revoir
to petty times, and tired repertoire,
and find your Way, stand on your own two feet,
don’t slave day to day, living half asleep,
take risks and see from peaks, plunge far and deep
your passion keeps you awake, make the leap.
and breathe air fresh and show a vision wide
amidst events with nothing left to hide,
adventure come, a fearless love to ride.
With time to start again your childhood lost,
and reach beyond limits of self that cost.
Afraid not, sing your song, and do not wait.
investigate, penetrate, insulate,
navigate, participate, communicate,
remove your ties, remove your suits and heels,
reject their policies, and all the deals,
and never suppress, and always express,.
remonstrate, educate and generate
negate, create, fluctuate, instigate ,
indicate, commiserate and stimulate,
incorporate, and magistrate, you take
your life into your hands, with no delay
the Way lifts your spirits; its here to stay.
Let music fill your soul, let life unroll
sacrifice ego and needs to control,
show the Way, see beyond, live your life whole,
you join the reign of truth, few words explain,
you give up need to moan or to complain,
authentic truth accepts all that’s humane
and write mystic poems to keep you sane,
let the blood pulse in your mind and your vein.
Your tribe is your passion that has not died
whch your heart-mind and body has supplied
the rawest material for all prescribed,
abide unclassified, unmodified,
undivide, purified, free, without guide,
not stuck behind curtains, and what’s implied.
reject top down and those forms who possess
you and indebt you, never acquiesce
You are the tiger, you are the eagle,
the flowers scent, and wine forever so fresh,
stay free from fears, dark nights, and endless stress,
forget the bacteria and criteria,
as well as the ministeria, queria,
and the traffic jams clogging arteria
and such methods to make you feel inferior.
and act direct and smell the bougainvillea,
challenge policy makers, souls gone cold
they launch their missiles on the young and old
and fleece the poor, ensure a stranglehold
while policing lives, protests controlled
Gotama, the Buddha, real cool as they say,
and raved pointing out the breathless Way,
set heart free, don’t betray your legacy.
the dharma, drama, bound not to lama,
Obama, marijuana, sadhana,
pyjama, niyama, jnana, karma,.
we protest, we change the world and we rest.,
we make it happen, we act, we’re blessed.
we walk the earth on fire, we spread our wings
we forget the nation state and its whims
we paddle hard, upstream, and hug the tree
and still find time for us to love and breathe.
we bear witness to this break with the old
and stand our ground, walk our talk, and uphold.
Meditate, pulsate, elate, menstruate,
educate, communicate, demonstrate,
along the free Way, just to remonstrate,
illustrate, appreciate, celebrate
don’t stagnate, gravitate, make a date,
equate, relocate, prostrate and update,
negate old traits, the Way stirs your DNA,
cast off the cells of what thought police say,
don’t sink beneath the waves and foggy haze,
as life reveals much more than work and play,
and know no reversal to the great way,
so you vibrate to the light’s cosmic play,
that Way you stay forever and a day.
One Way or the other.