Dhamma Poetry

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jackson
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Dhamma Poetry

Post by jackson »

Hi everyone, :smile:
I've taken an interest in Dhamma poetry and was wondering if any of you could recommend some poets I could check out. I don't mind which school of Buddhism it comes from, or even if it's not Buddhist but rings true (I really like some of Rumi's work). I look forward to your replies and thank you for your time. :namaste:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
Euclid
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Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Euclid »

Check out the Theragatha. Also worth checking out is the Therigatha, the bhikkuni's equivalent

Also, check out Ryokan. Some incredible stuff
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Ben
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Ben »

My friend, Dr Mike Heald,
http://www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/about ... literature" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
has two volumes of poetry published by Freemantle Arts Centre Press and another one currently in production. The third volume, working title 'the witness', is mostly Dhamma-inspired poetry from recent years.
http://www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/publi ... e1/poems01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
jackson
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Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:40 am

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by jackson »

Thank you kindly for your replies, :smile:
I'm going to have to track down a hard copy of the Gatha's, very inspiring stuff. While searching for some Ryokan I stumbled upon some of Dogen's poetry, which was simply amazing, I've got a feeling my book collection is going to be growing a fair bit! Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to reply.
With metta,
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
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Kusala
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Kusala »

jackson wrote:Hi everyone, :smile:
I've taken an interest in Dhamma poetry and was wondering if any of you could recommend some poets I could check out. I don't mind which school of Buddhism it comes from, or even if it's not Buddhist but rings true (I really like some of Rumi's work). I look forward to your replies and thank you for your time. :namaste:
Jackson
Hello Jackson. Have you ever heard of Matrceta's Hymn to the Buddha? It's beautiful.

One of my favorite... http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el360.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In Praise of Arduous Deeds

113 Fatigue, loss of the joy of solitude,
the company of fools, the press of the crowd
and the pairs of opposites: all these discomforts
you endure as if they were blessings.[29]

114 With mind detached, you quietly work
for the welfare of the world.
How awesome is the Buddha-nature of the Buddha![30]

115 You ate poor food, sometimes you went hungry.
You walked rough paths and slept on the ground
trampled hard by the hooves of cattle.[31]

116 Though you are the Master, in order to serve others
you endured insults and adapted your clothes and words,
out of love for those whom you taught.

117 You are the Lord, but you never lord it over others.
All may use you as a servant to obtain the help they need.

118 No matter who provoked you,
where or how, never did you transgress
your own path of fair conduct.

119 You help those who wish you ill
more than most men
help those who wish them well.

120 To an enemy intent on evil
you are a friend intent on good.
To one who gleefully seeks faults
you respond by seeking virtues.

121 Those who sought to give you poison and fire
you approached with compassion and nectar.

122 You conquered revilers with patience,
the malicious with blessings,
slanderers with truth and the cruel with kindness.

123 You reversed in an instant
the manifold natures and evil destinies
of those depraved from beginningless time.
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
jackson
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by jackson »

Kusala wrote:
jackson wrote:Hi everyone, :smile:
I've taken an interest in Dhamma poetry and was wondering if any of you could recommend some poets I could check out. I don't mind which school of Buddhism it comes from, or even if it's not Buddhist but rings true (I really like some of Rumi's work). I look forward to your replies and thank you for your time. :namaste:
Jackson
Hello Jackson. Have you ever heard of Matrceta's Hymn to the Buddha? It's beautiful.

One of my favorite... http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el360.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wow, what I've read so far is quite impressive, my eyes watered at some of those lines, so very beautiful...
:namaste:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
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Kusala
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Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:02 am

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Kusala »

Euclid wrote:Check out the Theragatha. Also worth checking out is the Therigatha, the bhikkuni's equivalent

Also, check out Ryokan. Some incredible stuff
The Theragatha/Therigatha is beautiful. What makes it beautiful IMO(In My Opinion) is the fact that it's just so real. You have individuals from all walks of life discovering the Dhamma...

Thag 6.9: Jenta, the Royal Chaplain's Son — {Thag 423-428} [Thanissaro]. Even arrogant fools can find liberation.

I was
drunk with the intoxication
of my birth, wealth, & sovereignty.
Drunk with the intoxication
of my body's build, coloring, & form,
I wandered about,
regarding no one
as my equal or better,
foolish, arrogant, haughty,
my banner held high.
I — disrespectful, arrogant, proud —
bowed down to no one,
not even mother,
father,
or those commonly held
in respect.

Then — seeing the ultimate leader,
supreme, foremost of charioteers,
like a blazing sun,
arrayed with a squadron of monks —
casting away pride & intoxication
through an awareness serene & clear,
I bowed down
my
head
to him, supreme
among all living beings.

Haughtiness & contempt
have been abandoned
— rooted out —
the conceit "I am" is extracted,
all forms of pride, destroyed.
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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Kusala
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Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:02 am

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Kusala »

From Ven. Dhammika's blog http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2008/05/c ... hamma.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chariots of Dhamma

"There is also several fine verses where the Buddha compares the parts of a chariot to the spiritual journey.

The road it goes on is ‘Straight.’
‘Without Fear’ is its destination.
The body is called ‘Silent,’
And its wheels are right effort.
Conscience is the railings,
Mindfulness the upholstery,
Dhamma the driver
And right view runs ahead.
And whether it be man
Or whether it be woman,
Whoever travels by this vehicle
Shall draw close to Nirvana (S.I,33).

The third last line in this little poem (itthiya purisassa va) needs to be more well-known."
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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mikenz66
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Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by mikenz66 »

Yes, that one is great. See this thread for some discussion of it and some alternative renderings:
http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=8821" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Mike
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altar
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Location: Great Barrington, MA

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by altar »

the samyutta nikaya, the first sections. i no longer have a copy.
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Nicholas Weeks
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Location: USA West Coast

Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

This recent anthology has many poems worthy of thought & many that are just beauteous!

The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy edited by John Brehm, Wisdom 2017. Here is a sample:
Tu Fu (712–770)

Jade Flower Palace

The stream swirls. The wind moans in
The pines. Grey rats scurry over
Broken tiles. What prince, long ago,
Built this palace, standing in
Ruins beside the cliffs? There are
Green ghost fires in the black rooms.
The shattered pavements are all
Washed away. Ten thousand organ
Pipes whistle and roar. The storm
Scatters the red autumn leaves.
His dancing girls are yellow dust.
Their painted cheeks have crumbled
Away. His gold chariots
and courtiers are gone. Only
A stone horse is left of his
Glory. I sit on the grass and
Start a poem, but the pathos of
It overcomes me. The future
Slips imperceptibly away.
Who can say what the years will bring?
Translated from the Chinese by Kenneth Rexroth.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Now one from the Mindfulness section:
Li Po (701–762)
Watching a White Falcon Set Loose

High in September’s frontier winds, white
brocade feathers, the Mongol falcon flies
alone, a flake of snow, a hundred miles
some fleeting speck of autumn in its eyes.
Translated from the Chinese by David Hinton.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

And one from the final Joy section:
Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828)

Children imitating cormorants
are even more wonderful
than cormorants.
Translated from the Japanese by Robert Hass.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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rhinoceroshorn
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by rhinoceroshorn »

Nicholas Weeks wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:07 pm And one from the final Joy section:
Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828)

Children imitating cormorants
are even more wonderful
than cormorants.
Translated from the Japanese by Robert Hass.
You'll like"Daughters of Emptiness".

Some poems from it on my wall:

Image

Image
Eyes downcast, not footloose,
senses guarded, with protected mind,
not oozing — not burning — with lust,
wander alone
like a rhinoceros.
Sutta Nipāta 1.3 - Khaggavisana Sutta
Image
See, Ānanda! All those conditioned phenomena have passed, ceased, and perished. So impermanent are conditions, so unstable are conditions, so unreliable are conditions. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.
Dīgha Nikāya 17
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Dhamma Poetry

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Han-shan has much merit too.
All you who read my poems
guard your purity of heart
let your greed be modesty
your flattery be honesty
put an end to evil karma
trust your own true nature
find your buddha body today
do it as fast as an order.
Red Pine translation
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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