Five Elements

Stubborn and stiff, I avoid hollow uncertainty.
Underneath the ground quakes and I lose my footing.
As long as I grasp, life seems to be stable,
But it just means I'm stuck and have no way to move.

When my mind is the gold dakini of earth,
I see these reactions to be the phantoms they are.
Everything is experience, as rich as a jewel.
There is no ground and I can rest right here.

Attempts to disperse and deflect what arises
Leave me feeling assaulted and at risk of being swept away.
Wriggling this way and that, I try to sidestep it
But I run out of room and freeze where I stand.

When my mind is the silver dakini of water,
I see these reactions to be the phantoms they are.
In the mirror of mind what appears is just there.
Free from fear I see clearly how all things are.

A consuming intensity masks a heart-wrenching loneliness.
Lost in a desert, there is no one around.
The slightest sensation ignites a devouring inferno,
Burning completely to ash all that is here.

When my mind is the ruby dakini of fire,
I see these reactions to be the phantoms they are.
The reddest of roses is a heart that just knows.
Taking every detail in, I'm not separate or alone.

In frenetic activity I hide because I cannot stand where I am.
Fleeing from ruin, I fall and keep falling.
I find one thing to do and then another and another,
Soon torn to bits in doing that does nothing.

When my mind is the emerald dakini of air,
I see these reactions to be the phantoms they are.
Like a sword, effective action cuts through all problems.
What needs to be done and the doing are one.

In a black hole I am overwhelmed and bewildered.
Terrified at not being, I go blank and know nothing.
Not knowing what to do, I go completely to pieces:
Mere dust, now, scattered, through all space and time.

When my mind is the sapphire dakini of void,
I see these reactions to be the phantoms they are.
A white shining circle reveals that nothing is missing.
In the totality of knowing, presence is always just there.

From the Unfettered Mind website