ARTS: Zen poets, an introduction

[Seikan]

Thanks for the suggestion. My wife used to live near Snyder in the 1970s and went to his readings not far from his summer home in the fire tower. I lived a few miles further down the mountain (hadn’t met my wife yet) but knew of Snyder but at that time was more consumed by the sciences so didn’t venture up to hear him even though I was meditating some then

Doshin
St

Doshin,

That's so cool. I'm jealous of the fact that you even lived in such proximity to Snyder (I'm a bit too much of a fanboy ).

Another Zen-inspired poet I forgot to mention is Jim Harrison—also a contemporary and good friend of Snyder's. They were both featured in the documentary "The Practice of the Wild" where they discuss ecology and poetry. Definitely worthy of a view (or two).

Gassho,
Rob

-st-

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[Kokuu]

Speaking of Snyder, Whalen, etc., I also heartily recommend "Poets on the Peaks" By John Suiter, where he writes about the years when Snyder, Whalen, and Kerouac each spent their summers working as fire lookouts in the western U.S. mountains and were starting to develop their individual interests in Zen (all ultimately taking very different paths later in life). If you're interested in the developmental years of the beat poets, it is a fantastic read.

Thank you, Rob. That does sound really interesting! I know about Gary Snyder's time as a lookout but did not know about the others. I love the Beats and spent some time a couple of years ago exploring Kerouac's relationship with Buddhism. I have Big Sky Mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation still on the shelf to read waiting for a gap between Dōgen and Larry Niven...

Poets on the Peaks seems to go for £30+ for copies at the moment, sadly.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Doshin]

Doshin,

That's so cool. I'm jealous of the fact that you even lived in such proximity to Snyder (I'm a bit too much of a fanboy ).

Another Zen-inspired poet I forgot to mention is Jim Harrison—also a contemporary and good friend of Snyder's. They were both featured in the documentary "The Practice of the Wild" where they discuss ecology and poetry. Definitely worthy of a view (or two).

Gassho,
Rob

-st-

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I have met Jim Harrison a couple of times when he came to his winter place in Patagonia, AZ. Had a beer with him a year or two before he died. First time I met him he told me he had written Legends of the Fall and I said “I know” He was an interesting man. Saw Practice of the Wild.

Doshin
St

[Hoseki]

Thank you, Kokuu. In another thread I asked about writers and books on haiku, but I found some answers here. I appreciate the links offered here.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

Hi Onkai,

I was reluctant to mention Issa as he was a Pure Land Buddhist but I find Kobayashi Issa's poems to be wonderful. David G. Lanoue has a number of books of translations of Issa's poetry and the kindle versions are only a few dollars.

Gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday

[Doshin]

Hi Doshin

Btw, did you book onto David Loy's Ecodharma course? I would really like to do it but don't have the space to take on anything else right now.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

I applied. Limited number to be accepted so I am waiting. I told David if they maxed out give my spot to a younger person. If I get in I was going to ask Jundo if he wanted me to start a thread where I summarized the teaching (what I understood at least) each week. Thought it be motivation for me to focus more!

Doshin
St

[Kokuu]

That's so cool. I'm jealous of the fact that you even lived in such proximity to Snyder (I'm a bit too much of a fanboy ).

Snyder is well worth fanboying over! I actually came to him through my career in ecology and involvement in Green politics and environmentalism well before Zen and I suspect that Doshin might be the same.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Kokuu]

I applied. Limited number to be accepted so I am waiting. I told David if they maxed out give my spot to a younger person. If I get in I was going to ask Jundo if he wanted me to start a thread where I summarized the teaching (what I understood at least) each week. Thought it be motivation for me to focus more!

That would be great if you do get on!

I have often mooted the idea of having an Environmental/Green Dharma sub-forum in which to place the threads we already have and to study something like Ecodharma or even something of Gary Snyder's, with the idea that you and I might co-moderate, if you would be open to it.

But as yet, it is something whose time seems not yet to have come. Your thread, if it happens, could well precipitate more.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Seikan]

I have met Jim Harrison a couple of times when he came to his winter place in Patagonia, AZ. Had a beer with him a year or two before he died. First time I met him he told me he had written Legends of the Fall and I said “I know” He was an interesting man. Saw Practice of the Wild.

Doshin
St

Oh man... Now I'm extremely jealous.

Considering how many of us seem to have similar tastes in poetry, we may want to consider an occasional online meetup/reading or something here, but maybe AFTER Ango/Jukai.

Gassho,
Rob

-st-


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[Onkai]

Thank you, Kokuu and Hoseki, for your reading suggestions.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Onka]

Again, thank you Kokuu
Gassho
Onka
ST

[Doshin]

That would be great if you do get on!

I have often mooted the idea of having an Environmental/Green Dharma sub-forum in which to place the threads we already have and to study something like Ecodharma or even something of Gary Snyder's, with the idea that you and I might co-moderate, if you would be open to it.

But as yet, it is something whose time seems not yet to have come. Your thread, if it happens, could well precipitate more.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

I like that idea.

Doshin
St