Ivan M. Granger August 22nd, 2008
The complete collection of St. Symeon’s hymns! His discourses are readily available in English, but as far as I can tell this is the only English translation of his complete hymns. It was published in 1976 and never re-issued, making it very rare. I’ve been looking for a reasonably priced copy of this book for several years now, but every copy I found was for $200 - $300. Ouch! I finally found a copy for under $100, still not cheap, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity.
I have to say my reaction is mixed. Continue Reading »
Ivan M. Granger July 12th, 2008
I found this among the sale books at my local bookstore (the Boulder Bookstore always has such an excellent collection of books that even the sale books are excellent), and I’ve been reading chapters at random. Brief biographies and writing selections from such women of wisdom as Sappho, Rabi’a, Yeshe Tsogyal, Andal, Hildegard of Bingen, Sun Buer, Mirabai, Teresa of Avila, Emily Dickinson, and several others. I would have liked a little more depth with each section, but this book is a very nice introduction and sampler.
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Elizabeth Reninger March 30th, 2008
Not surprisingly, the poetry of the Taoist tradition is steeped in Taoism’s core values: a close observation and deep honoring of the rhythms of the natural world; a delight in simplicity, play and paradox; and a child-like wonder which has discovered the human form to be the meeting-place of Heaven and Earth.
The poems offered by Taoist practitioners ~ hermits, yogis, priests, farmers, wandering rascals ~ tend to be short rather than long. They often begin with an image from the natural world, encountered “nakedly” and relayed to us ~ the reader ~ in a way that preserves the freshness and spontaneity of that ordinary magical moment. There is ease and simplicity, which allows for great subtlety, and a kind of intimacy difficult to describe.
In The Art of Writing: Teachings of the Chinese Masters, Tony Barnstone and Chang Ping have given us an English translation of three classic Chinese works on the art of poetry Continue Reading »
Ivan M. Granger March 22nd, 2008
I discovered this book years ago in a used book store on Maui, early in my days of reading sacred poetry. I was instantly hooked because, for some reason, it never really occurred to me that you can read the actual personal letters of such great saints of the Catholic tradition, like Francis and Clare of Assisi. But here they are: letters, spiritual guidelines… and poetry. If you’re new to medieval Christian mysticism and thought, this probably isn’t the place to start. But I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to cultivate a more intimate understanding of the spiritual life of one of the most loved saints of the West.
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity!
Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!
Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance!
And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead Itself
through contemplation!
So that you too may feel what His friends feel
as they taste the hidden sweetness
which God Himself has reserved
from the beginning
for those who love Him.
– Clare of Assisi
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Ivan M. Granger March 6th, 2008
This book became an immediate favorite of mine ever since I picked up a copy of it a couple of years ago. Stunning poems from the Shiva bhakti tradition of India. Basava, Devara Dasimayya, Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu. The commentary in the book, though a little academic, is genuinely insightful. Enthusiastically recommended!
The pot is a God. The winnowing
fan is a God. The stone in the
street is a God. The comb is a
God. The bowstring is also a
God. The bushel is a God and the
spouted cup is a God.
Gods, gods, there are so many
there’s no place left
for a foot.
There is only
one God. He is our Lord
of the Meeting Rivers.
– Basava
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Ivan M. Granger March 3rd, 2008
One of my favorite collections of the Persian Sufi poets, some you may have heard of and others who may be new to you: Jami, Attar, Hamadani, Iraqi, Hafez, Ibn Arabi, Sanai, and many others. If you like Sufi poetry, this is a book you should have.
My hearing, sight, my tongue and hand: all He.
Then I am not, for all that is, is He.
I think I am, and thought is but a dream.
When I awake, all that remains is He.
- Baba Afzal Kashini
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