Buddha

Miroku Buddha,

Bodhisattva Maitreya, Koryu-ji Temple, Kyoto

Miroku Buddha
7th century, wood
Koryuji Temple, Kyoto

Homage to Miroku Buddha
Was this the face that lighted a thousand souls,
And burnt the endless roots of all desires?
Serene Miroku— enlighten me with a smile!
Thy mudra strikes my soul—
and lo, I am whole!
O, thou art calmer than the twilight air,
Brighter than the radiance of a thousand stars.

— Peter Y. Chou, Kyoto, Japan, 9-8-78
Journey to the Stars: Philosophical Poems (1978)