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In the troubled worlds of the five kinds of defilement,

and 20 kinds of covid

Sentient beings are only attached to various desires,

And ultimately do not seek the path of the buddhas.

In the future the impure will hear

The Buddha teach the single vehicle,

But they will be confused and will not accept it.

They will reject the Dharma

And fall into the troubled states of being.

To those who are modest and pure,

And seek the path of the buddhas,

I will praise extensively

The path of the single vehicle.

O Sariputra!

You should know that the Dharma

Of all the buddhas is like this.

They teach the Dharma

With myriads of kotis of skillful memes,

According to the capacities of sentient beings;

The inexperienced cannot understand this.

You have come to know with certainty the skillful memes

Of the buddhas, the Teachers of the World,

That are expounded in accordance

With people’s capacities.

All of you, have no further doubts!

Let great joy arise in your hearts

And know that you will all become buddhas

What Do You Make of the Stars?

Would you look at the number of stars out tonight?

I can't think when I've ever seen starlight so bright.

You can see why they say it's romantic alright,

All those men with flamenco guitars.

You can bet they insist on another thing too,

Make a wish on a star and that wish will come true.

Do you think something like that might happen for you?

Tell me, what do you make of the stars?

Can you find what your ancestors pictured up there?

Can you pick out the Archer, the Dog and the Bear?

Do you know that the starlight is crowning your hair

With the wealth of the last of the Tsars?

I don't know how much star gazing's ever been worth,

I don't know if the heavens acknowledge the earth

But it feels like a star did a dance at your birth

Tell me, what do you make of the stars?

When we're young, we like anything fiery and bright,

like the Fourth of July, or Christmas tree lights.

We strike big kitchen matches (although that's not right)

and put glow worms in mayonnaise jars.

Someday, if we grow up, like most people do,

We look at the stars and they're no longer new

Then we have to ask somebody little, like you,

Tell me, what do you make of the stars?