Kabir - Between the conscious and the unconscious, the mind has put up a swing:

April 13, 2009

A great poem sent by Ivan Granger. See his notes at foot, always worth while

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

Between the conscious and the unconscious, the mind has put up a swing:

By Kabir(15th Century)

English version by Robert Bly

Between the conscious and the unconscious, the mind has put up a swing:all earth creatures, even the supernovas, sway between these two trees,and it never winds down.Angels, animals, humans, insects by the million, also the wheeling sun and moon;ages go by, and it goes on.Everything is swinging: heaven, earth, water, fire,and the secret one slowly growing a body.Kabir saw that for fifteen seconds, and it made him a servant for life.

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

Amazon.com / Photo by Johnny Jet /

============

Thought for the Day:

There may be actions to takeand responsibilities to fulfill,but there is nothing to do.

============

Here's your Daily Music selection --

Ruxpin

Avalon

Listen - Purchase

More Music Selections

Hi Alan -This is a rather loose translation, but I like it.Everything is swinging: heaven, earth, water, fire,and the secret one slowly growing a body.There is a continuous flowing between the subtle and the manifest, between spirit and matter. Spirit pours through matter, giving it life and awareness. Matter, in turn, gives form to spirit, striving to embody the limitless amidst limitation.And so the swing goes back and forth, patiently, playfully, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes frightening.It isn't a process where we find that perfect spot and then it all stops. "It never winds down." It is an interplay that continues, and we find our rightful place by seeing the entire dance...Kabir saw that for fifteen seconds, and it made him a servant for life.IvanPS - Poetry Chaikhana on TwitterAs of Friday,

the Poetry Chaikhana has a Twitter page. Sign up with Twitter and follow @PoetryChaikhana to stay up-to-date on blog posts, get excerpts and quotes, news and notes and random thoughts, and pass along your own feedback. There might even be a few surprises. See you there!PPS - Updates to the Poetry Chaikhana softwareDo you ever wonder what I do for the Poetry Chaikhana besides sending out poetry? The Poetry Chaikhana is actually an extensive network, including the poem emails, a website of rich resources, a blog, a forum, a Facebook page, and now a Twitter page. It's a lot for one person to manage in his free time (especially when that person tends to be a rather quiet, meditative type). The main way I coordinate it all is through the custom software I developed several years ago. But that software was becoming increasingly out-of-date and not as efficient as I'd like. This past weekend I just completed a major update that will

allow the Poetry Chaikhana to keep serving you its special brand of tea well into the future. You probably won't immediately notice much change on your end, but I'll certainly have a more relaxed smile on my face. :-) ...And a reminder that your generous donations are what allow me to do all that work behind the scenes -- thank you.

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:

Video & Music: Stand by Me - Comments (2) Trust me, you'll be moved by this patchwork performance of "Stand by Me" with singers and street musicians from all over the world. More

Poetry Chaikhana on Twitter - Comments (1) I just set up a Poetry Chaikhana Twitter page... More

Story: Thought, by Anthony de Mello - Comments (3) "Why are you so wary of thought?" said the philosopher... 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.

www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com

Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 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".