Poetry Chaikhana Blog

A reminder to breathe. And a reminder that our breath is part of the planet’s breath. From the folks at Greenpeace.

The Buddhas say, “Come and dance!”

A beautiful video of Tibetan Buddhist culture and dance, set to a gentle trance groove, and the modern Buddhist teacher Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche reading one of his poems. I think you’ll like this one.

The Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche is one of the most respected lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to his role as teacher and spiritual guide, he is also a poet and artist, and an athlete who runs marathons to raise money in support of Tibet and its people. He is the son of the much-loved, but somewhat controversial Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

His title “The Sakyong” means literally “Earth Protector,” and he is considered a spiritual king in the Shambhala tradition that emphasizes courage in the spiritual journey through earthly life.

If you’d like to learn more about Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, check out his website at www.mipham.com.

If you’d like to read more, here are a few of his books. The second two are collections of his poetry:

Ruling Your World by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Smile of the Tiger by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Snow Lion’s Delight by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

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(Thanks, Jill, for sending me this video link!)

A fascinating, experimental animated short about the struggles and breakthroughs of the creative process by the young South American animator Carlos Lascano. I hope it helps you find a window of insight… and inspiration.

“Little Wing” was always my favorite Jimi Hendrix song. There’s something so dream-like to its words and soft groove, but with the quiet growl of Hendrix’s guitar that threatens but never quite roars.

Well, this is not your typical version of Little Wing. Jason Arimoto (http://www.myspace.com/jasonarimoto) gives us a quiet, almost meditative version, but still just that hint of something bigger rumbling beneath the surface — and only playing ukulele. Give it a listen. You’ll be surprised. I guarantee a smile on your face.

Well she’s walking through the clouds
With a circus mind thats running round
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams and fairy tales
That’s all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind.

Fly on little wing,
Yeah yeah, yeah, little wing

I moved to Hawaii a few years after Israel Kamakawiwo’oli — IZ — died, and he was still greatly mourned. Bruddah IZ was a big man with a big heart, and a soaring falsetto voice that could bring tears unexpectedly to your eyes. He was in many ways the voice of the Hawaiian nation. His songs expressed his love for the aina, the beautiful land of Hawaii, and he gave voice to the sorrows of the Hawaiian people and their delightful playfulness.

When I think of my years living among the islands, I hear IZ’s songs playing among my memories of water, sky, and green…

Mahalo nui loa, Bruddah IZ!

Facing Future (CD) by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

Alone in IZ World (CD) by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

Wonderful World (CD) by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

E Ala E (CD) by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

IZ in Concert: The Man and His Music (CD) by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

túrána hott kurdís by hasta la otra méxico! from Till Credner on Vimeo.

Serene morning, the world awakening to drowsy self-awareness. A new day, a new year, a new dawn…

(Thank you Katharine for introducing me to this video.)

A member of the Poetry Chaikhana forwarded this to me in response to Mary Oliver’s poem, The Lark. Worth sharing with everyone…

I once had the opportunity to watch Tibetan Buddhist monks construct a sand mandala on Maui. It took them a few days, if I remember right, patiently, prayerfully funneling small amounts of colored sand, until the mandala was completed. After the chanting and music, it was all swept away again — a reminder of the cycle of manifestation and return to source.

An excerpt from a documentary of Thomas Merton’s Asian travels, highlighting Merton’s meeting with Chatrul Rinpoche of the Nyingma Buddhist tradition. A meeting of Christian and Buddhist views of enlightenment.

Pata Pata

I just heard that Miram Makeba “Mama Africa” died a couple of days ago. Her music, emerging out of South Africa, touched the world…

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Amampondo

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A brief summary of Miram Makeba’s life, art, and work for social and racial justice…

Miram Makeba is one of those transformative artists whose vision transcends the world of her art and career. Through her music and her personality, we encounter the expansive possibilities of the human heart when it is fully applied to the struggling world.

Do yourself a favor and track down more of her music.

A poem by Kahlil Gibran. An astronomical vision of self and God. A journey inward and outward…

Vijali Hamilton creates stunning sacred art that emerges organically from the earth — environmental sculpture carved in hillsides and mountaintops. Her work hearkens back to the great works of art of pre-history, honoring our rootedness in the earth.

As Vijali travels all over the world to create her work, she interacts with indigenous cultures and traditions, often helping to establish sister projects to establish sustainable local economies and encourage peaceful political dynamics.

For more about Vijali’s work, to order books or cards of her work, see
www.vijali.net

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Part 1

Watch all the way to the end of part one to see the completed Padmasambhava cave wall carving.

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Part 2

Kwan Yin mountain carvings in China, standing stones in remote Russia…
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Part 3

Incan inspired sculpture in Peru…

A good glimpse into the ways American Muslims observe Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and communion with God.

silent lotus is a regular contributor to he Poetry Chaikhana Forum. His is a voice of wisdom, heart, and stillness.

In these four very short video clips, silent lotus is the opening speaker at a commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, at the Institute for Advanced study, and co-sponsored by the Fellowship in Prayer & Coalition for Peace.

The poetry of silent lotus opens the event with an energy of peace and deep awareness…

Transcendence

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Feel the Peace
“…for divine light is gentle
and the silence is pure…”

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No Need to Mend

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The Light of Sunrise

Rumi, recited by Sina, with music by Hamoon Tehrani. A nice visual meditation…

A reminder of the world we all share. Notice that there are no borders. Borders and nations, all those walls that seem to govern our lives — they are all imaginary. But this living earth beneath our feet, the ocean of air that flows around us and through us and over us, now they are real and remind us of our shared life.

This is a brief clip from a documentary available on DVD entitled “Closer Than Close” about the modern search for spiritual meaning. The narrator gives us a quiet, unembellished description of his moment of awakening into nondual awareness. I haven’t yet seen the full movie, but I’m curious…