From “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”

Autobiography in Five Chapters

 

I walk down the street

There is a deep hole

I fall in.

I am lost … I am hopeless

It isn’t my fault

It takes forever to find a way out

 

I walk down the same street

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I pretend I don’t see it

I fall in again

I can’t believe I’m in the same place

But it isn’t my fault

It still takes a long time to get out

 

I walk down the same street

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I see it is there

I still fall in … it’s a habit

My eyes are open

I know where I am

It is my fault

I get out immediately

 

I walk down the same street

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I walk around it

 

I walk down another street

Sogyal Rinpoche