Bodhi awakens on the seventh day to Thou Shalt’s horn still echoing in his chest. He leaves the Field of Freethinkers and walks toward the Sea of Sunyata. Arriving at its shore, he sees three goats meditating under an old, fig tree with heart-shaped leaves. A Snowy Owl flies overhead. 

The smallest goat breaks his trance and motions to Bodhi to join them. Stepping beneath the fig’s wide shadow, Bodhi drops to his knees in disbelief. 

The goat smiles and says:

dearest bodhi

welcome to the sea

of sunyata, emptiness

here we become, not be

Bodhi stammers:

where am i

and who are you

it’s been a long time 

since anything felt true

The baby goat responds gesturing toward the water:

the sea is inside you

deeper into your mind

in searching for answers 

no final truth you will find

Bodhi regains his composure and takes a seat amongst the goats. Enlightened continues:

i am enlightened 

just an animal, not divine 

i lived centuries before

the lamb of god did shine

years ago under this tree

and beneath its silent frame

i vowed to sit until death

or wake without shame

when all was bleak

my spirit nearly broke

a spark occurred

and then at last i awoke

nothing exists by itself

all things relate to all

everything is connected

from the smallest to the tall

Enlightened pauses, and then Bodhi responds:

your ideas i have heard

from other animals here

what do they mean for living

what about the heart’s tear

Enlightened answers:

suffering arises from ignorance

fearing life has no meaning

we grasp for absolutes

so dread won’t start breeding 

some turn to a judging god

others to love, self, power

anchor themselves in the storm

chained to a brittle tower

as we free ourselves through seeing 

we release our anchor

we become enlightened 

live without rancor

to let go we watch

our thoughts go by

meditation will help you 

let us give it a try 

Enlightened demonstrates to Bodhi how to sit in a lotus position and then says: 

count your breaths

coming in and out

watch thoughts arrive

bringing fear and doubt

do not cling or grasp

as thoughts drift nearby

simply let them pass

like clouds across the sky

as they retreat 

focus on the silence

think of nothing

release what is tense

Bodhi and the goats sit in a silent meditation for several minutes, and then Enlightened continues:

bring your attention forward

to eternal here and now

open your eyes, and to life

give a gentle bow

Bodhi declares, exasperated: 

i failed miserably

could not clear my mind

became so distracted

chaos is all i could find

Enlightened responds:

as to be expected

this is your first try 

our thoughts are weather

and you are the sky 

when we examine ill feelings

and their causes, we understand 

they fade from our minds

like an hourglass losing sand

Bodhi nods his understanding and then asks Enlightened:

if there are no absolutes

where do morals arise

what about compassion

or hatred’s guise

Enlightened answers:

when performing an action

we create an imprint

affecting future decisions

karma, a mental footprint

intention is what matters

yet effects we must inspect

even when harm still follows 

right intent earns our respect 

Enlightened pauses to let Bodhi reflect. After several minutes, Bodhi points to the sea, with the sun high overhead, and asks:

i do not understand

hear nothing does exist

the tree, the water

do they not persist

The goat, Emptiness, hands a white flower to Bodhi, and says:

take this white flower

and hold it to the light

look deeper into its becoming

and watch things disslove from sight

flowers need sun, soil

water, air to live

these things require

still more to give

Bodhi takes the flower and stares deeply at it and then at the sea. Enlightened addresses Bodhi while looking at Emptiness:

to end your suffering

emptiness you must realize

realized by this goat

your journey’s deepest prize 

he lived after me

walker of the middle way

defeated a great serpent

of extremes that don’t stay

Emptiness turns to Bodhi and continues: 

middle way is the path

that led you to the sea

between absolute and nothing  

is the void you must now see

yet do not worship

the abyss you face

emptiness too

must leave no trace

nothing is born

nothing dies

everything changes form

things fall and co-arise

Bodhi responds with a question:

what happens when we die

if souls are mortal

do we rot in the earth

if there’s no divine portal

Enlightened answers:

some teach that karma

ripens beyond this life

in other lives to come

as peace, or strife

rebirths occur

different lives to come

until those animals 

awakened they become

Another goat speaks up:

i am zen and we interpret

what enlightened does say

is that we can be reborn

each moment, of each day

we shape the lives of others

through compassion and being kind

or through resentment and hatred 

we help them see or go blind

we are free from death

when through others we live 

our love moves on

in what we give

Bodhi responds, frustrated:

this is so esoteric

the nature of reality 

about what happens

after death, if i’m free

what does it mean

for myself, who i am

this is my struggle 

like water against a dam

if i let go

what will remain

will i dissolve 

like drops of rain