Tag: Poetry

Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

Bidding Farewell to Harold Bloom

By Vishvapani on Sat, 19 Oct, 2019 - 19:09
  • Harold Bloom

Bidding Farewell to Harold Bloom

By Vishvapani on Sat, 19 Oct, 2019 - 19:09

Here is a new appreciation of the critic and writer Harold Bloom, who died on October 14th 2019.

Vishvapani is a writer, broadcaster and Buddhist mindfulness teacher. His writing can be found at Wise Attention.

***

The sadness I feel at learning of the death, aged 89, of the great literary critic Harold Bloom, is softened only by my incredulity that he was living at all; that is, living in a modern world to which he seemed so alien....
Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

Culture's Peak: An Interview with Harold Bloom by Vishvapani

By Vishvapani on Wed, 16 Oct, 2019 - 23:23
  • Harold Bloom in 2017

Culture's Peak: An Interview with Harold Bloom by Vishvapani

By Vishvapani on Wed, 16 Oct, 2019 - 23:23

This interview with the literary critic Harold Bloom was first published in Dharma Life, 5, Summer 1997. Harold Bloom died on October 14th 2019.

Vishvapani is a writer, broadcaster and Buddhist mindfulness teacher. His writing can be found at Wise Attention.

***

When I first encountered Harold Bloom’s work, I discovered a remarkable mixture. Bloom is Professor of Humanities at Yale University, and is widely considered America’s leading literary critic. His many books combine an enormous breadth of reading...
Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: The Art of Disappearing

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 2 Sep, 2019 - 14:00

How free would your life be if you gave up unreal expectations? Try to remember something too important to forget. Renunciation is where you are allowing yourself to be obedient to the call of the heart – what do you really want to say ‘yes’ to? One of her telling quotes is ” … there is no spiritual development without renunciation, and no renunciation without spiritual development …”

Saddhanandi begins this Dharmabyte with a poem by Naomi Shihab...
Community Highlights
Community Highlights

Prakasha on Buddhism and William Blake (with Satyalila)

By Free Buddhist Audio on Thu, 11 Jul, 2019 - 20:55

In this interview, Prakasha shares the remarkable story of the unfolding of his Dharma Life from a fascination with the English poet, painter and visionary William Blake in the late 1970s and early 80s and how this led him to a deep immersion in the Vajrayana approach to Buddhism. Following on from Bhante, in ‘Buddhism and William Blake’ he elucidates the common basis between the symbolic worlds of Blake and the Vajrayana.

Recorded at a retreat on William Blake, Adhisthana 2017.

...
Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Trusting the Process

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 18 Apr, 2019 - 14:00

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is by Varasahaya called Trusting the Process.

Drawing on her experience as a poet, Varasahaya discusses creativity, imagination, and the writing process as a spiritual practice. She reads some of her poems, and explains the process by which they came to birth, and what she learnt about letting go of self as she grappled with writing.

An excellent and very accessible talk given to Sangha night at the West London Buddhist Centre. Taken...
Wellington Buddhist Centre
Wellington Buddhist Centre

Three Poets at City Gallery

By akashagarbha on Mon, 18 Feb, 2019 - 23:14

In December there was an enjoyable evening at Wellington City Gallery with Maitreyabandhu from the London Buddhist Centre. He was talking with two Wellington poets, Bill Manhire and Jenny Bornholdt, who were reading and talking about their poetry.

Click on the link below to listen.

File NameSize
wellington_poetry_event_18_dec_2018.mp376.34 MB
Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

In gratitude

By Munisha on Fri, 9 Nov, 2018 - 23:35

In gratitude

By Munisha on Fri, 9 Nov, 2018 - 23:35

In deep gratitude to my teacher who has given me so much, my favourite of his poems.

INVOCATION

Field-freshening rain,
White night-rain lingering on in drizzles till the dawn,
Pools of bright silver making, birthing streams
In dry clay river-beds, pour down, O rain,
All day, all night, pour down pour down, O rain,
Pour down…

World-welfaring Compassion,
Void-born Compassion diamond-hard and petal-tender,
Peace to wild heartwaves bringing, birthing love
On the low...
Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59
  • Complete Works Vol 13 Index in Process

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59

I’ve been working on the index for Volume 13 of Bhante’s Complete Works for the last few weeks and finished it on Friday morning, having worked late into the night before.  It has felt like its own kind of vigil for Bhante to be doing this.  A great privilege to tend his ‘Dharma body’, or one physical manifestation of it, at least.  I’m not a professional indexer but a (supported) amateur - tho’ as Vidyadevi kindly reminded me, the etymology of...
Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

Questions arising following your passing

By Bodhidasa on Thu, 1 Nov, 2018 - 06:42

Questions arising following your passing

By Bodhidasa on Thu, 1 Nov, 2018 - 06:42

Should I mourn your absence?
What form could contain
that unrivalled presence?

Should I weep for you?
What tears offer release
to one already freed?

Should I run to your side?
What frantic display
reveres your stillness?

Should I recall you?
What image gives shape
to your shabby elegance?

Should I speak of you?
What eulogy does justice
to your eloquence?

Should I bequeath garlands?
What wilted flowers
could embody such wisdom?

Should I hold to your words?
Why...

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