Faith Sutra at Kelaniya

Flower-rinse
is as ritual as offering,
the one to un-residence dust
and the other to expiate sorrow;
and yet eye is not eye enough
to assess success rate
and dust remains
in particled particularity,
like the kleshasthat await that other rinsing
with the maturing of paramitas,but this side of going beyond
incense and flower
fragrance and ember
dew drop and dust
another rinse is possible,
for faith gives way slowly to comprehension
the victory of light over darkness
begins with the first modest spark
and that perhaps
is the long and short of sansara.

[From the collection 'Some texts are made of leaves' and published in 'The Nation' of January 1, 2012]

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