Archive for March, 2009

Story: The King’s Fortress, by the Baal Shem Tov

Ivan M. Granger March 31st, 2009

Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer of Mezhizh, known respectfully as the Baal Shem Tov (the Master of the Good Name), lived in the early 1700s and is the spiritual father of the Hassidic movement that became such an important part of Judaism in Eastern Europe (and later, after World War II and the Holocaust, spread to the rest of the world).

Much of the spiritual genius of Hassidic Jewish mysticism is passed to us through stories, usually tales from the lives of revered Rabbis. Sometimes though we get an allegorical story, like this one told by the Baal Shem Tov himself…

==


/ Photo by ivan.kovpak /

There was a king who created, through his magical art, barriers and walls, one within the other, with which to surround himself. All these were, however, really illusory. He commanded that money be spread around at the gates of each of these walls to see how great the determination and desire of his subjects, how much effort each one of them would make, to come to the king.

There were those of his subjects who immediately returned home after they had collected a little money at the gates of these illusory walls. There were others who got as far as the second or third walls. But there were very few who did not desire to collect merely physical treasures, only to reach the king himself.

After considerable effort they came to the king and saw that there were really no barriers and walls, everything was a magical illusion.

So it is with God. Those who truly understand know that all the barriers and walls of iron, all the garments and coverings are really on God himself in hiding, as it were, because there is no place where he is not.

(trans. Alan Unterman)

Teachings of the Jewish Mystics
by Perle Besserman

Video - Palette of the Ocean

Ivan M. Granger March 31st, 2009

A short, sweet watercolor animation…

Francis of Assisi -The Praises of God

Ivan M. Granger March 30th, 2009

The Praises of God
by Francis of Assisi

English version by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM CAP & Ignatius C. Brady, OFM

You are holy, Lord, the only God, You do wonders.
You are strong, You are great, You are the most high,
You are the almighty King.
You, Holy Father, the King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God of gods;
You are good, all good, the highest good,
Lord, God, living and true.
You are love, charity.
You are wisdom; You are humility; You are patience;
You are beauty; You are meekness; You are security;
You are inner peace; You are joy; You are our hope and joy;
You are justice; You are moderation, You are all our riches.
You are beauty, You are meekness;
You are the protector,
You are the guardian and defender;
You are strength; You are refreshment.
You are our hope, You are our faith, You are our charity,
You are all our sweetness,
You are our eternal life:
Great and wonderful Lord,
God almighty, Merciful Savior.

— from Francis and Clare: The Complete Works: The Classics of Western Spirituality, Translated by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM CAP / Translated by Ignatius C. Brady, OFM


/ Photo by cogdogblog /

This prayer-poem by St. Francis might seem a little formally religious for some tastes, but it has a devout beauty and strength to it.

Read the poem with the recognition that these words of praise were written by St. Francis immediately after receiving the stigmata during his meditations at Mount LaVerna in September 1224. (In fact, the original document, written in Francis’s own hand, is still preserved in Assisi.)

The repetition of the attributes of God takes on a driving rhythm, shamanic in its effect, with the potential to awaken sacred trance. This is a poem not meant to be read once, but to be chanted, over and over, until ecstasy takes over.

The words are simple but can swallow you whole.

Francis of Assisi, Francis of Assisi poetry, Christian poetry Francis of Assisi

Italy (1181 - 1226) Timeline
Christian : Catholic

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Every person, everything…

Ivan M. Granger March 30th, 2009

Every person: God.
Every animal, every plant: God.
Everything: God, God!
The slightest contact is worship.

Abu-Said Abil-Kheir - When the desire for the Friend became real

Ivan M. Granger March 27th, 2009

When the desire for the Friend became real,
by Abu-Said Abil-Kheir

English version by Vraje Abramian

When the desire for the Friend became real,
all existence fell behind.
The Beloved wasn’t interested in my reasoning,
I threw it away and became silent.
The sanity I had been taught became a bore,
it had to be ushered off.
Insane, silent and in bliss,
I spend my days with my head
at the feet of My Beloved.

— from Nobody, Son of Nobody: Poems of Shaikh Abu-Saeed Abil-Kheir, Translated by Vraje Abramian


/ Photo by Hamed Saber /

We had blizzard yesterday, here in Colorado. Gusts of wind filled the world with white. Today the sun is out again, and the white world glistens.

What does that have to do with today’s poem? Nothing I suppose.

When the desire for the Friend became real,
all existence fell behind.

I keep returning to the poetry of Abu-Said Abil-Kheir, and each time I do I find myself muttering some variation of, “Mm. Wow.”

But what do I have to say about this poem?

The Beloved wasn’t interested in my reasoning,
I threw it away and became silent.

Nothing, I suppose.

But each line insists on repeating itself in my mind.

The sanity I had been taught became a bore,
it had to be ushered off.

The sun is out, a day to yield and melt…

Insane, silent and in bliss,
I spend my days with my head
at the feet of My Beloved.

Abu-Said Abil-Kheir

Turkmenistan (967 - 1049) Timeline
Muslim / Sufi

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Story: The Lost Tenth Man, told by Ramana Maharshi

Ivan M. Granger March 27th, 2009

The great 20th century sage of nondualism Ramana Maharshi gives us a very funny story about ten men who cross a river, who then become convinced that they’ve lost one of their party. It is a delightful illustration of Advaita Vedanta, the Hindu teaching of nondualism that asserts the Eternal is also one’s Self. Since the Goal is also our Self, we are never truly separate from That. The effort to acquire the Eternal becomes an endlessly frustrating game until we finally understand that all that is necessary is to remove our ignorance and see the situation clearly.

Let’s let Ramana Maharshi tell us in his own words:

Ramana Maharshi, Ramana Maharshi poetry, Yoga / Hindu poetry Ramana Maharshi

India (1879 - 1950) Timeline
Yoga / Hindu : Advaita / Non-Dualist
Yoga / Hindu : Shaivite (Shiva)

“[The Eternal] is not a knowledge to be acquired, so that acquiring it one may obtain happiness. It is one’s ignorant outlook that one should give up. The Self you seek to know is truly yourself. Your supposed ignorance causes you needless grief like that of the ten foolish men who grieved at the loss of the tenth man who was never lost…”

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/ Photo by judepics /

The ten foolish men… forded a stream and on reaching the other shore wanted to make sure that all of them had in fact safely crossed the stream. One of the ten began to count, but while counting the others left himself out.

“I see only nine; sure enough, we have lost one. Who can it be?” he said.

“Did you count correctly?” asked another, and did the counting himself. But he too counted only nine.

One after the other each of the ten counted only nine, missing himself.

“We are only nine,” they all agreed, “but who is the missing one?” they asked themselves. Every effort they made to discover the “missing” individual failed.

“Whoever he is that is drowned,” said the most sentimental of the ten fools Continue Reading »

A. R. Ammons - Poetics

Ivan M. Granger March 25th, 2009

Poetics
by A. R. Ammons

I look for the way
things will turn
out spiraling from a center,
the shape
things will take to come forth in

so that the birch tree white
touched black at branches
will stand out
wind-glittering
totally its apparent self:

I look for the forms
things want to come as

from what black wells of possibility,
how a thing will
unfold:

not the shape on paper — though
that, too — but the
uninterfering means on paper:

not so much looking for the shape
as being available
to any shape that may be
summoning itself
through me
from the self not mine but ours.

— from Collected Poems: 1951 - 1971, by A. R. Ammons


/ Photo by Randy Son Of Robert /

This poem is a delightful meditation on how form emerges “spiraling from a center” of essential nature.

I look for the forms
things want to come as

from what black wells of possibility,
how a thing will
unfold:

Form is the expression of a more subtle foundation. Ammons is using the world of color and shape as an exercise for the awareness, a way of looking at the outer to discover the inner.

Looking at the world this way, a stillness settles on us, and we begin to see the stillness of things, even in their movement. And we start to recognize how shape and color both hide and reveal the true nature of things.

so that the birch tree white
touched black at branches
will stand out
wind-glittering
totally its apparent self:

Looking at the world this way, the perceptual wall between ourselves and what we witness fades away, and we become something new, bigger, open, a collective unity, “the self not mine but ours”…

not so much looking for the shape
as being available
to any shape that may be
summoning itself
through me
from the self not mine but ours.

Wonderful!

A. R. Ammons, A. R. Ammons poetry, Secular or Eclectic poetry A. R. Ammons

US (1926 - 2001) Timeline
Secular or Eclectic

More poetry by A. R. Ammons

Supreme effort

Ivan M. Granger March 25th, 2009

Make a supreme effort!

What are you hoarding all of your energy for?

Hsu Yun - Searching for the Dharma

Ivan M. Granger March 23rd, 2009

Searching for the Dharma
by Hsu Yun

You’ve traveled up ten thousand steps in search of the Dharma.
So many long days in the archives, copying, copying.
The gravity of the Tang and the profundity of the Sung
make heavy baggage.
Here! I’ve picked you a bunch of wildflowers.
Their meaning is the same
but they’re much easier to carry.


/ Photo by teddy llovet /

Walking yesterday, the trees are shyly showing their green buds, returning color to the world. I turned a corner and was bathed in the honey scent of new plum blossoms. These are the true books of the Dharma.

The great masters don’t wear an academic scowl; a silly grin sits easy on their face. Must be from so much study on such a Spring day…

Hsu Yun, Hsu Yun poetry, Buddhist poetry Hsu Yun

China (1839 - 1959) Timeline
Buddhist : Zen / Chan

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Let your longing

Ivan M. Granger March 23rd, 2009

Let your longing
lead you.

Story: The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox - by Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi

Ivan M. Granger March 22nd, 2009

Let’s start with a story from Rumi’s Mathnawi–

The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox

Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi poetry, Muslim / Sufi poetry Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi

Afghanistan & Turkey (1207 - 1273) Timeline
Muslim / Sufi

A huge lion went hunting one day, and took with him a wolf and a fox.

They were all excellent hunters and by the end of the day the team had caught an ox, an ibex, and a hare.

The wolf was already hungrily eying their prey, so the lion magnanimously told him, “Wolf, divide up this abundance between us in any way you like.”

The wolf, though hungry enough to eat the ox himself, decided it was safest to give the largest prize to the lion. He claimed the ibex for himself, and handed the small hare to the fox. The wolf was already licking his chops and about to begin his meal, when the lion roared:

“Wolf! How dare you talk of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’!” With a single swipe from his might paw, the lion slew the wolf.

The lion slowly calmed himself, and then turned to the fox. With a huge smile, he said, “Fox, divide up this abundance between us in any way you like.”

The fox, being no fool, immediately said that the entire bounty belonged to the lion.

The lion rumbled in satisfaction, and said, “Fox, you are no longer a fox; your are myself. The entire bounty is yours!”


/ Photo by wwarby /

* * *

I imagine Mevlana Rumi laughing with delight at this story. But beneath the ironic humor, this story is a teaching story, a humorous parable with layers of hidden wisdom. Continue Reading »

Wisdom Stories - Introduction

Ivan M. Granger March 22nd, 2009

People are storytelling creatures. It’s not tools or technology that distinguish us from other beings. It is our stories. We tell stories to ourselves and each other. We know ourselves and the world through stories…


/ Photo by topgold /

The primary focus of the Poetry Chaikhana is, naturally, poetry; but you can’t dig very deep into the world’s sacred poetry without coming across some wonderful stories, as well. Just as Jesus famously taught in parables, spiritual teachers of every culture and clime have encoded their teachings into symbolic wisdom tales that both entertain and challenge the seeker to unravel their knots of meaning.

I’ve really come to love these wisdom stories, so I thought I’d to share some with you, along with my way of understanding the deeper meaning they impart. But remember, like a dream, there is not necessarily one single correct meaning or interpretation. The real truths they impart is what you discover in yourself and you uncover the story’s meaning. These stories are an invitation to self-discovery.

Ryokan - First days of spring

Ivan M. Granger March 20th, 2009

First days of spring — the sky
by Ryokan

English version by Stephen Mitchell

First days of spring — the sky
is bright blue, the sun huge and warm.
Everything’s turning green.
Carrying my monk’s bowl, I walk to the village
to beg for my daily meal.
The children spot me at the temple gate
and happily crowd around,
dragging to my arms till I stop.
I put my bowl on a white rock,
hang my bag on a branch.
First we braid grasses and play tug-of-war,
then we take turns singing and keeping a kick-ball in the air:
I kick the ball and they sing, they kick and I sing.
Time is forgotten, the hours fly.
People passing by point at me and laugh:
“Why are you acting like such a fool?”
I nod my head and don’t answer.
I could say something, but why?
Do you want to know what’s in my heart?
From the beginning of time: just this! just this!

— from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell


/ Photo by laruenatclemson /

Something today in honor of the Spring equinox (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) and, in many cultures, the beginning of the new year…

A day with blue sky, warm sun, when “everything’s turning green.”

This poem evokes the simple joy of a game played with children, a joy so immediate that it leads the awareness to that timeless, nondual state of the eternal present. It is that sense, felt particularly in the space of the heart, that time can be traced all the way to its beginning… and that beginning is found right here.

Have a wonderful Spring weekend! (I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go outside and play!)

Ryokan, Ryokan poetry, Buddhist poetry Ryokan

Japan (1758 - 1831) Timeline
Buddhist : Zen / Chan

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Each kind act…

Ivan M. Granger March 20th, 2009

Each kind act
and simple insight
is a great victory.

Symeon the New Theologian - How is it I can love You

Ivan M. Granger March 18th, 2009

How is it I can love You
by Symeon the New Theologian

English version by Ivan M. Granger

How is it I can love You
      within me,
      yet see You from afar?

How is it I embrace You
      within myself,
      yet see you spread across the heavens?

You know. You alone.
      You, who made this mystery,
      You who shine
like the sun in my breast,
      You who shine
      in my material heart,
            immaterially.


/ Photo by notsogoodphotography /

A riddle for us today. How can God dwell in such a small house as the human body and awareness, yet permeate the vastness of creation?

Symeon is not asking these questions as an intellectual game, however. This is not a dry theological exercise. His questions arise from the genuine surprise at this paradox as it reveals itself through direct perception: The Divine is both intimate and all-encompassing, within yet everywhere. The intellect can’t comprehend how this can be, yet the mystic is confronted with it undeniably. With total disregard for the mind’s inability to grasp this truth, a giddy radiance pours out from your breast while, at the same time, it fills the universe.

Symeon the New Theologian, Symeon the New Theologian poetry, Christian poetry Symeon the New Theologian

Turkey (949 - 1032) Timeline
Christian : Eastern Orthodox

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Forgiveness and Freedom

Ivan M. Granger March 18th, 2009

The path of forgiveness
is the path of freedom.

Forgiveness is a rebellion
against the ego’s self-importance.

Lu Tung Pin - People may sit till the cushion is worn through

Ivan M. Granger March 16th, 2009

People may sit till the cushion is worn through,
by Lu Tung Pin

English version by T. C. Lai

People may sit till the cushion is worn through,
But never quite know the real Truth:
Let me tell about the ultimate Tao:
It is here, enshrined within us.


/ Photo by SuperFantastic /

Simple and direct. These few lines say so much, lines that should make the self-consciously pious squirm in their seats.

When Lu Tung Pin asserts–

People may sit till the cushion is worn through,
But never quite know the real Truth:

–he is saying one can do marathon meditations but never attain realization. He isn’t being critical of meditation itself; he is saying that simply following the forms, the traditions, the spiritual practices set out for us won’t do the job. In other words, following the rules won’t get us into heaven.

The task isn’t accomplished through effort or iron will. The game isn’t won through agility or perfect strategy. The great masters of the Tao know:

It is here, enshrined within us.

Truth, the ultimate Tao, is not earned; it bursts forth from your breast.

So, sit, yes. (Or pray, or chant, or bow.) But find the secret that unlocks the way within you…

Lu Tung Pin, Lu Tung Pin poetry, Taoist poetry Lu Tung Pin

China (755 - 805) Timeline
Taoist

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