Write Spirit

Ancient wisdom and modern inspiration

Archive for October, 2006

Poem – Water is Silent

 

The fish in the water is silent,
the animals on the earth is noisy,
the bird in the air is singing.
But man has in him the silence of the sea,
the noise of the earth
and the music of the air.

 

 

By: Rabindranath Tagore

From Stray Birds by Rabindranath Tagore
[translated from Bengali to English by the author]
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916

 

Photo by Abedan Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries 

Currently at British Museum there is an exhibition of Tagore’s entitled "The Art of Peace: Paintings by the poet Tagore"

 

I COBBLED THEIR BOOTS

I COBBLED THEIR BOOTS

How could I love my fellow men who tortured me?

One night I was dragged into a room
And beaten near death with
their shoes

striking me hundreds of times
in the face, scarring me
forever.

I cried out for God to help, until I fainted.

That night in a dream, in a dream more real than this world,
a strap from the Christ’s sandal
fell from my bleeding
mouth,

and I looked at Him and He
was weeping, and
spoke,

“I cobbled their boots;
how sorry
I am.

What moves all things
is God.”

 

 

 

Translation by: Daniel Ladinsky

From Poetry of St John of the Cross

 

The poem is from “Love Poems From God” and are translated by Daniel Ladinsky, well known for his poetic versions of Hafiz.

St John of the Cross is widely regarded as one of the great mystical poets who lived in Spain during the 16th Century. As a young Carmelite friar John met St Teresa of Avila and became profoundly moved by her radiant spirituality. In 1577 St John was kidnapped and  imprisoned for his support of the reforms to the Carmelite movement. For several months he suffered appalling conditions and regular beatings, amounting to torture. However throughout this experience he came even closer to the divine and amidst the beatings and squalor experienced visions and ecstasy’s. This poem is based on one such vision during his imprisonment.

This poem is from “Love Poems From God” and are translated by Daniel Ladinsky, well known for his poetic versions of Hafiz.

Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln

On this day October 6th 1862 Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the defining speeches in American’s history.

It was a speech announcing the unconditional end of slavery

"And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all
persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward
shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and
naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. And I hereby
enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary
self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for
reasonable wages."

Poem – Drink Your Tea

 

Drink Your Tea

by Thich Nhat Hahn

 

Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves
– slowly, evenly, without
rushing toward the future;
Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life.

 

 

Thich Nhat Hanh is a vietnamese Buddhist monk who has written many poems and teaches a form of engaged Buddhism.

 

Photo by: Bipin: Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

The Wish Fulfilling Tree

 

"A young aspirant was sitting at the foot of a tree in the summer heat. Fortunately or unfortunately, the tree he happened to be sitting under was the Kalpataru tree, the tree that fulfils all desires, but he did not know this.…"

…..

Read complete story: "The Wish Fulfilling Tree" from Gopal’s Eternal Brother And Other Stories for Children
by Sri Chinmoy

" So, as George Bernard Shaw said, "There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire, the other is to get it." In this story, the young aspirant got it!"

 

Photo by: Pavitrata: Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

 

Sri Aurobindo – Extract from play

Sri Aurobindo was a poet, philosopher and Spiritual Master.

In Sri Aurobindo’s early life he threw himself heart and soul into politics and the Indian independence Movement.

However at various times and particularly during a spell in prison, very powerful spiritual experiences came to Sri Aurobindo. These spiritual illuminations encouraged him to leave the political struggle to others and concentrate only on his future spiritual mission.

 

Extract from Play on Sri Aurobindo

(Bombay. After his address at a meeting of the Bombay National Union, Aurobindo returns to the residence of a friend. Standing on a balcony he looks out on the city.)

Aurobindo: “I see the whole busy movement of Bombay as a picture in a cinema-show, all unreal and shadowy. The entire material world is quite unsubstantial, void. Ever since I had the experience of the vacant state of Nirvana the silent Infinite alone has become real to me.”

enter Lele

– From “Descent of the Blue” – A Play by Sri Chinmoy on the life of Sri Aurobindo

See Bande Mataram translated by Sri Aurobindo.

See: Biography of Sri Aurobindo