The Toki Ponist on the Mountain main page

jan li pakala e noka ona la, lawa ona li tawa ala kin.

When someone breaks a foot, also his head no longer travels. — Toki Ponist Pu

July 2021

These are the words as recovered from the awoken well:
jan Lapesu li tawa sewi lon ma nena suli.
ona li toki tawa jan Sipi e ni:
  • sitelen lape li suli la, sona ni li awen ala lon mi tan seme?
  • jan Sipi li toki e ni: sina toki tawa sijelo seme?
    jan Lapesu li pilin e sijelo sike pi jan Sipi.
    jan Sipi li toki ala. pini la, jan Lapesu tawa anpa.
    jan Sipi li toki e ni:
  • lawa sina li lon ko sewi. noka sina li tawa anpa kin.
    ken la, sijelo lape sina li moku e pan.
    ken la, sijelo kon sina li lon ma kasi soweli.
  • Here follows a relaxed translation:

    Lapesu climbs the mountain to meet Tipi. He asks: “If dreams are so important, why can’t I remember them?” Tipi asks: “What body are you talking to?” Lapesu touches Tipi’s round tummy.

    Tipi takes his time. Finally, Lapesu walks down the mountain in disappointment. Tipi answers: “Your head is still in the clouds. Your feet are walking down already. Your dream body may be eating bread. Your sprit body may be at the zoo.”

    Associative musings:

    When our legs walk, we expect our body to move with it. Our mind only understands this superficially because it has modeled our body so perfectly for moving around in this world. If we perform new tricks or dabble in arts, our mind can be more than frustrated with the lackluster performance of our physical body.

    Imagine how much worse it must be for the mind’s representation of your subtle body in your dreams and the bodyless body of your spirit in the dreams of your dream. While they are schleppt around in your head and move around together with your feet, you can train the link between the three bodies. Attention is all that is required, just like your toe expects a loving inspection when it steps on a Lego or bumps a table leg.

    Read a newer koan (Even good fish have to swim in the dirty water of others.)