The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

Please visit our website at adioderma.org.

Good evening.

So I'm going to start the talk tonight with a poem.

It's by Rosemary Traumae, of course.

Those of you who come here often know that I'm often reading her poems,

she's a beautiful poet and a practitioner,

Buddhist practitioner or meditation practitioner.

So this poem is called When the Stakes Are Low.

When the Stakes Are Low by Rosemary Traumae.

For the fourth time in four weeks, I slip my spade into the dark soil of the half-circle garden.

I make 20 shallow holes, then lift the pansies from crinkly plastic containers

and drop the root-bound squares into the earth.

Within hours, this small brown bunny arrives

with his pink twitchy nose

and his small round lump of soft bunny body. And while I wash dishes, I meet through the

window his innocent, unbleaking gaze as he consumes a dozen deep purple petals in small, efficient tugs.

He looks at me as if to say, you love me.

And I do.

I croon at the bunny.

How cute his small ears, how perfect his bliss.

How good he is for eating his pretty bunny food.

...