Guest guest Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 From Ivan for the week end with love Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- P'u-t'o Temple By Yuan Mei(1716 - 1798) English version by J. P. Seaton A temple, hidden, treasured in the mountain's cleftPines, bamboo such a subtle flavor:The ancient Buddha sits there, wordlessThe welling source speaks for him. -- from A Drifting Boat: Chinese Zen Poetry, Edited by J. P. Seaton / Edited by Dennis Maloney Amazon.com / Photo by nurpax / ============ Thought for the Day: Balance must be discoveredaneweach day. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- David Parsons Vajra Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -This poem feels like a brush painting. A few simple strokes suggest the scene: A temple. A mountain's cleft. Pines, bamboo. A Buddha. That's all we need to be brought, with the Buddha, to wordlessness and the "welling source." Mm. ---Yuan Mei was born in Hangchow, Chekiang during the Qing dynasty. As a boy, he was a talented student who earned his basic degree at the age of eleven. He received the highest academic degree at 23 and then went to advanced studies. But Yuan Mei failed in his studies of the Manchu language, which limited his future government career.Like many of the great Chinese poets, Yuan Mei exhibited many talents, working as a government official, teacher, writer, and painter.He eventually left public office and retired with his family to a private estate named "The Garden of Contentment." In addition to teaching, he made a generous living writing funerary inscriptions. Among other things, he also collected local ghost stories and published them. And he was an advocate of women's education.He traveled quite a bit and soon gained the reputation as the pre-eminent poet of his time. His poetry is deeply engaged with Chan (Zen) and Taoist themes of presence, meditation, and the natural world. As biographer Arthur Whaley notes, Yuan Mei's poetry "even at its lightest always had an undertone of deep feeling and at its saddest may at any moment light a sudden spark of fun."Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA sincere thank you for your donations this past week:- Khadija (FL)And a big thank you to everyone who has recently signed up to be a voluntary paid r:- Barbara, TimI am so grateful for each and every contribution. Your support makes a big difference in maintaining the Poetry Chaikhana.---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... When you donate I send a really cool thank you ecard. Make a donation and see for yourself! The Poetry Chaikhana encourages respect for the rich diversity of religion and cultures -- so needed in the world today. How much is $2/month? The cost of one cup of chai. Less, actually. I know economic times are tight for many people. A small amount contributed each month is as helpful as a larger one-time donation. The poem email sets a nice tone for the day. 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 | Facebook | Twitter 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". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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