A Buddhist Limerick

Today is National Limerick Day!

I’m not even a huge fan of limericks, but the fact that they have a whole day dedicated to them is so bizarre and wonderful, that you kind of have to take a moment to celebrate.

When I told my husband the news, he composed a limerick for me based on the Diamond Sutra. Because he’s a genius. The Diamond Sutra is a Buddhist religious text and one of the oldest existing books. There have been a lot of translations (some better than others, apparently), but in short, it explores the ephemeral nature of the world. Here’s a sample:

Just as, in the vast ethereal sphere, stars and darkness, light and mirage, dew, foam, lightning, and clouds emerge, become visible, and vanish again, like the features of a dream—so everything endowed with an individual shape is to be regarded.

As writing goes, it’s about as far from limerick as you can get, but my guy made it work:

A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
A flickering lamp, a phantom in a dream.
We see life this way
If we start the day
Committed to our mindful routine.

And there you have it. A Buddhist limerick for National Limerick Day.