SUBJECT AND OBJECT TOGETHER

I Love You

“One morning

in my little hut at Truc Lam,

I woke up very early,

around three o’clock.

When I put my feet

on the earthen floor,

the coolness made me feel very awake.

I remained in that position

for almost an hour.

While I looked out into the darkness,

I listened to the first bells of the morning.

Although I could not distinguish

particular objects,

I knew that the plum tree and

the bamboo thicket were there.

In the darkness of the night,

I knew that you were there,

because I was there.

You are there for me,

and I am here for you;

that is the teaching of interbeing.

Consciousness is always

consciousness of something;

cognition always includes

subject and object together.”

Hanh, Thich Nhat. At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life (p. 88). Parallax Press. Kindle Edition.

ART: LJ Austin “One Morning” 2022