Category: Poem

The Gift of Suffering

Suffering has great wisdom

Suffering has hidden gems under the chaotic surface

Suffering & joy are two sides of the same coin

Left & right

Up & down

Suffering & joy

We cannot have one without the other

So smile at your inner most suffering

Sit with it with curiosity & compassion

The gifts of suffering will be found in this space of openness & self love

If we run from it or suppress our suffering, it will persist till our last breath

If we try to suppress our suffering through substances, we suppress our joy as well

So go home to your deepest pain

It has many lessons

It can be transformed to boundless joy & serenity if we learn the art of suffering

With aloha

Johnny

Looking Deeply at Reality

If we look deeply at a flower

We see there isn’t truly a flower

A flower is made of non flower material

A flower is made of water, soil, nutrients & sunlight

You and I are the same

If we can touch the true reality of things

We see that everything is connected

I am not made of human materials

I am made of water which came from the clouds & rivers

I am made of materials like iron, calcium, zinc

Which were created many billions of years ago in a dying star

I am made of the sun, water & soil

Our life is impermanent on this earth but our matter is infinite

It can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed

If we can touch this true reality, our suffering will vanish in this moment

With aloha,

Johnny

The Road to Recovery.

You have always been there for me

When I was lonely

When I was bored

When I was in pain

Relieving me of stress

Allowing me to focus

Stimulated my mind

Thank you for your attempts to distract me from my suffering

But I have to let you go

The momentary relief you give me leads to more suffering in the end

You will always be part of my story but it’s time to turn the page

It’s time to start a new chapter of self love & service to others

It’s a long road to recovery but it’s a worthwhile journey

The alternative is self destruction

With aloha,

Johnny

The Void Within

Fill the hole in my heart

Fill the deep gap within my soul

Take away the discomfort

Numb me to my suffering

Distract me

Comfort me

I don’t want to feel anymore

Consumption of drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling or junk food seems to be the solution to our pain

Temporarily they are good numbing agents, that’s what hooks us in; especially when we first try them at an early age

But in the end it causes more suffering & new financial & health problems

Like quick sand we can fall deeper & deeper into the depths of addiction

With aloha

Johnny

Service

Any path that isn’t for the betterment of others is not worth taking

Even if we find our spiritual path though Buddhism, Hinduism , Christianity, yoga, or transcendental meditation

Our practice is still driven by ego if the sole intention is to better ourselves

We must take what we learn on the yoga mat, church, mosque, or meditation cushion, roll up our sleeves and help others in our daily lives

Don’t discount even the smallest acts

Even a smile or a kind word to a stranger can significantly help others

Choose compassion over apathy

Love over fear

Curiosity instead of judgment

With aloha,

Johnny

Attitude Adjustment

Entitled, bitter, and upset

I cause my own suffering

What’s the antidote for this mental condition?

Gratitude

How could I lose sight of all the things I could be grateful for?

Grateful for my job

Grateful for friends and family

Grateful for life & it’s infinite possibilities

The conditions of happiness are always available at any moment

Even through the darkest times we can cultivate joy through gratitude

We can bring our breath back to this exact moment

Peace & joy can only be found in the here and now

With aloha,

Johnny

Sitting With Uncertainty

There might be a heaven
There might be reincarnation
Or there could be nothing
I do not claim to know anything for certain
When I am firm with a belief of what happens after life
I lose all grace
I lose all faith
I lose all wonder

Instead of claiming to know anything

I sit closely to uncertainty


And whole universe opens itself to me

It’s everlasting wisdom humbles me each day

Be weary of those who claim to know anything for certain

With aloha,

Johnny

Truly Helping

To truly help others

Focus all your energy on healing yourself

Be kind always but don’t sacrifice your own health & well-being by focusing your energy on others

It is possible to reduce others suffering and help others see the inner Buddha that lives within all of us

But if we are drowning in our own suffering we can’t help others who suffer

It is possible to awaken

To not let fear, hatred, anger, and ignorance run & ruin our lives

No matter your skin tone, gender, age, or wage

Thanks to impermanence, we can transform our suffering into joy

And we can help others do the same

Not by force but through understanding, compassion and forgiveness

Namaste,

Johnny

Self Destruction

I was put on this earth for a reason

To reduce suffering

To bring joy to others

To see the oneness in everything

A wave realizing it’s the ocean

Energy flows within myself like an infinite river going out to sea

Many years ago, a dying star supernova gave life to myself & everything on earth

Life is precious according to me so why wait to become a better version of myself?

The time is now for change & growth

Why waste my one precious life harming myself?

Drowning myself in substances, junk food, and self destructive habits

I see my ego wanting to self destruct

All it wants is pleasure & to avoid pain

But I know I’m much more than my ego

I also have a divine Buddha sitting within myself

Patiently waiting

It doesn’t want to harm my ego, that would only feed the anger, hatred, and fear

It loves the darkest side of me with light of a billion stars

With aloha,

Johnny

Life & Death

Life & death are interconnected, not two separate concepts

The ultimate yin & yang of the cosmos

Each day cells are born & die in our own bodies

Death surrounds each moment of life
Without death there is no life
Breathing in I know I’m of the nature to grow old
Breathing out I know I will die one day
Knowing this noble truth I will enjoy this beautiful life that has been gifted to me
Each day is a new opportunity to pay gratitude to the universe
I will do my best to live a compassionate, peaceful, and loving life
I will not let fear, hatred or greed control my one life.

“To truly live, we must die each moment.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

With aloha,

Johnny