The Mantra of the Goddess and the Buddha~

Once the Buddha was walking along the forest path
In the Oak Grove at Ojai, walking without arriving anywhere
Or having any thought of arriving or not arriving
And lotuses shining with the morning dew
Miraculously appeared under every step
Soft as silk beneath the toes of the Buddha

When suddenly, out of the turquoise sky,
Dancing in front of his half shut inward looking eyes,
Shimmering like a rainbow or a spider's web
Transparent as the dew on a lotus flower,
-The Goddess appeared quivering
Like a hummingbird in the air before him

She, for she surely was a she
As the Buddha could clearly see
With his eye of discriminating awareness
Was mostly red in color
Though when the light shifted
She flashed like a rainbow

She was naked except
For the usual flower ornaments
Goddesses wear
Her long blue hair was deep blue,
Her two eyes fathomless pits of space
And her third eye a bloodshot
Ring of fire

The Buddha folded his hands together
And greeted the Goddess thus
O Goddess, why are you blocking my path
Before I saw you I was happily going nowhere
Now I'm not sure where to go

You can go around me, said the Goddess,
Twirling on her heels like a bird darting away,
But just a little way away,
Or you can come after me
This is my forest too,
You can't pretend I'm not here

With that the Buddha sat
Supple as a snake
Solid as a rock
Beneath a Bo tree that sprang
Full leaved to shade him
Perhaps we should (converse), he said
After years of arduous practice
At the time of the morning star
I penetrated reality, and now...
…I am reality, the Goddess interjected

The earth stood still
The oceans paused
The wind listened
- a thousand arhats, bodhisattvas, & dakinis
Magically appeared to hear
What would happen in the conversation
I know I take my life in my hand, said the Buddha
But I am known as the Fearless One…

And he & the Goddess
Without further words
Exchanged glances
Light rays like sunbeams
Shot forth
So bright that even
Sariputra, the All Seeing One,
Had to turn away

And then they exchanged mind
And there was a great silence as vast as the universe
That contains everything
And then they exchanged bodies
And clothes
And the Buddha arose
As the Goddess
And the Goddess
Arose as the Buddha
And so on back & forth
For a hundred thousand kalpas

If you meet the Buddha
You meet the Goddess,
If you meet the Goddess
You meet the Buddha
Not only that
This
The Buddha is the Goddess,
The Goddess is the Buddha
And not only that
This
The Buddha is emptiness
The Goddess is bliss
And that is what
And what-not you are...

~Rick Fields~