He had wondered what it would be like
to be a Buddha, I mean, he thought, do
Buddhas know they are Buddhas or
does someone have to tell them, and
if so, how does that person know
that this person must be a Buddha?
He wasn’t sure he wanted to become
a Buddha since no one could explain
what possible benefit there would be
in becoming enlightened, and anyway
he was told it took years of practice
and he wasn’t one to invest years
in something that might not happen.
He wanted better odds for his investment.
A zen teacher he consulted said everyone
was a potential Buddha, so he could be,
it was buried deep within his nature.
He did try looking for it, but all he found
were childhood nightmares and dreams
of which he knew no Buddha would approve.
But he was deeply compassionate, that too
was his nature, so just perhaps he could
become a Bodhisattva, that seemed doable,
if only someone would explain to him
the qualifications to claim that title.