Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 A short but apposite poem from Ivan--- On Wed, 14/1/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] Hadewijch - You who wantalanadamsjacobsDate: Wednesday, 14 January, 2009, 5:48 PM Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- You who want By Hadewijch(13th Century) English version by Jane Hirshfield You who wantknowledge,seek the OnenesswithinThere youwill findthe clear mirroralready waiting -- from Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield Amazon.com / Photo by nowhere Zen New Jersey / ============ Thought for the Day: True contentment will carry youpast the wall of wordspast the blind border of self-rejectioninto the very present. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Tina Malia & Shimshai Jaya Bhagavan Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -I love this short proclamation of truth. It almost sounds like words you'd hear in a Zen dojo.--Hadewijch -- often called Hadewijch of Brabant or sometimes Hadewijch of Antwerp -- lived in the 13th century in what is now Belgium. She is rightly called one of the greatest names in medieval Flemish and Dutch literature.Little can be said for certain about the life of Hadewijch. Unlike many other women mystics of the time, no biography was written about her, so all we know is what scholars have been able to deduce from her writings themselves. Hadewijch was probably the head of a Beguine community. The Beguines were a sect of devout women in Belgium, Holland, Germany and northern France. Beguines did not take vows, but they gathered together to live in simplicity and service. Many Beguines were mystics and poets of the highest order.Hadewijch's poetry has a rich love mysticism. Like her contemporary, St. Francis of Assisi, Hadewijch was clearly inspired by the courtly love poetry of the Troubadours and Minnensingers. The fact that she was familiar with this courtly art form suggests that Hadewijch was probably born to a noble family.The writings of Hadewijch were gathered and studied by the Flemish Christian mystic John Ruusbroec in the 1300s, but later fell into obscurity until rediscovered in the 1800s by scholars.--Have a beautiful day...Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Esoteric vs. Mystic - I often use the word “mystic†in my commentaries. To me it suggests one who is concerned with inner truth and realization, as opposed to a mere follower of rules, theologies, and surface observance... Some writers, however, make a strict distinction between the words “mystic†and “esotericâ€... More Book Recommendations: Getting Oriented - Comments (5) You know what would have saved me a lot of confusion? Discovering one of the following books. Each of these books is a good, highly readable introduction to the deeper spiritual dimensions of a particular religious tradition. Check them out… More The Invasion of Gaza - Comments (6) Up until now I haven’t directly addressed the current invasion of Gaza, but I don’t want to appear to be ignoring this deeply traumatic world crisis... More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Video Channel www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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