ADVENT
Sangharakshita: A Life in VerseAdvent
I listened all day for the knock of the Stranger,
And I often looked out from the door.
The table was scrubbed, the brass shining,
And well swept the floor.
The shadows grew longer and longer,
In the grate the fire flickered and died.
‘It’s too late. He never will come now’
I said, and sighed.
I sat there musing and musing,
The spinning-wheel still at my side.
The moonlight came in through the window
White like a bride.
As the clock struck twelve I heard nothing
But felt He had come and stayed
Waiting outside. And I listened –
And I was afraid.
Sangharakshita on “Advent”
Listen to the whole interview. Or to individual tracks below.
The fifth in a series of ten intimate interviews between Sangharakshita and Saddhanandi, reflecting on Sangharakshita’s own selections from his extensive body of poetry. In this segment they discuss the poem “Advent”.
Track 1: Reading of the full poem “Advent”
Track 2: Sangharakshita’s inspiration for “Advent” and the symbolism of The Stranger
Track 3: Sangharakshita’s LSD experiences and nibbling away at the ego
Track 4: House and Stranger – Preparing the conditions for the transcendental to emerge
Track 5: Opening the door for the Stranger
Track 6: Further thoughts on “Advent”
Track 7: Sangharakshita One and Sangharakshita Two
Track 8: Reflecting on the meaning of the poem’s title and the symbolism of The Guest
With thanks to Urgyen Sangharakshita, Saddhanandi, Rijupatha, and Candradasa
This space created by the team at Dharmachakra
Recorded in 2016