Poem: Zen in the Falling Snow (Luòxuě zhōng de chán yì)

There is something so tranquil about the snowflakes falling slowly, unique as they descend from the heavens above and meld into the ground snow as a commoner. There is something Zen in the slow and silent descent and then the quiet rest on the white carpet of winter.

I have seen this quite a few times — in the snowy Swiss Alps, the New York winters, and Sikkim. The white-clad echelons of the world are so peaceful and majestic in their timeless solitude. For a thinker and poet like me, such tranquility is nirvana.

So why don’t we explore the state of peaceful nirvana through a slight dose of Guqin and vertical bamboo music titled ‘Wu Na’, ‘Zen in the Falling Snow’, and a poem of the same title?

Guqin and Vertical Bamboo Music — ‘Zen in the Falling Snow’

Poem: Zen in the Falling Snow

Zen in the falling snow

White capsules of tranquillity
Like Manna from heaven
Still, silent and serene
Descend without a shiver

Each flake so unique
Perfectly designed
An individual journey
To a crowded, quiet heaven

Falling in profound grace
Subtle, silent, and solemn
A freedom in motion
Unbonded from convention

Slowness in motion
Filling the winter hunger
Of valleys and mountains
Wrapping them in a white blanket

Petite, pristine, and pure
Preening without pretense
Detached without drama
Zen in the falling snow.
~Ashok Subramanian © 2024