Carpe Diem "Spiritual Ways" #2 Unconditional Love

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As you follow my other weblog Carpe Diem Haiku Kai than you maybe know that we are on a pilgrimage along the 88 temples on the Island of Shikoku. It's a pilgrimage who every Buddhist needs to make once in his/her lifetime. This pilgrimage inspired me to create this all new feature, because one of the 'classic rules' of haiku is that there has to be a deeper meaning in it, mostly based on Buddhism, but all other spiritual ways of other religions can also be in it on a deeper layer.
Here ... however ... I will try to stay close to my own philosophy which is based on more than one religion or spiritual vision.

Nara NaraYana

In this episode I love to share a bit of my philosophy with you all. This philosophy of my is very important in all that what I am doing e.g. in my work as an oncology nurse in a local hospital. My philosophy is:

 

First ... live out of unconditional love for all and everything on Earth
Second ... in everything and everyone there is God (or Spirit or what ever you call it yourself), which is based on the thought 'NaraNaraYana", a Hindu word which means something like "God in humankind, humankind in God".
And last but not least ... you have always look towards the other with respect and you have to accept that the other is different from you. In my work I always look at my patients with the thought "How would I like it if I was in that hospital bed?"

Unconditional Love

Well ... I hope this post inspires you to compose a 'spiritual' haiku. It inspired me to write the next haiku:

unconditional
love never makes exceptions -
the sun rises again

the sun rises again
every day without asking why
unconditional

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Not a strong set I think, but I think the message has become clear ... is it a spiritual one? Yes it is ... Now it's up to you ...

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until March 2nd 11.59 AM (CET).

Carpe Diem's "Only the First Line" #4

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another nice episode of this Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special "Only The First Line", in which the goal is to write a new haiku which starts with the first line I give. I have searched for a new "First Line" and came up with this one:

Ice Flowers

"blooming ice flowers"

So the goal of this episode is to write a new haiku starting with the line given "blooming Ice Flowers" not an easy task, but ... well it's a challenge and a challenge is not always easy (smiles). And to make this somewhat more like a challenge you have to write your haiku in the classical 5-7-5 syllables way.

Of course I have tried it myself. Here is my attempt to write a haiku starting with the line "blooming Ice Flowers".

blooming ice flowers
painted in this stone cold night
on bedroom window

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This episode of "Only the First Line" is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until February 22th 11.59 AM (CET).
Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all here at our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special.