#(Buddha) 27 An Arrow That Killed Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Buddha faced questions
From the intellectuals,
Like “how the body differ
From the spirit that suffer? ”

“What happens to the soul,
After death of an individual? ”
A story, Buddha told them
That finally convinced them.

Once a man was struck
By an arrow at his back.
People rushed to pull it out,
But he wasn’t for taking it out.

He asked, “Who shot this one?
Is it made of copper or iron?
They said, “We shall find it,
After pulling the arrow out.”

But he said, “Don’t touch me.
Tell first, who tried to kill me? ”
They said, “Oh man, as blood
Flows out, you’ll be dead.”

But the man was adamant
And allowed them not
To dress the wound
That drained out blood.

At the end, he died
Losing all the blood,
For his own obstinacy
Resulted in this tragedy.

Had the man allowed
Them to dress his wound
He would have survived
And from death saved.

This will happen to one,
Not showing his concern
To solve urgent problems,
But is after abstract themes.