I am excited to announce the start of our new “Less Is More” reflection and study group.
Beginning this month, we will gather around one or two carefully selected poems (or occasionally a longer verse text) and explore together how they speak to our practice, our lives, and the Dharma in general.
Poetry has long been interwoven with Buddhism—and Zen, in particular. One reason for this is that poetry can be a powerful means of using language to point beyond language, expressing something of the ineffable that cannot be fully captured in words. Yet, as words are what we have to work with, poets have used them (often quite sparingly) to point towards the Dharma in unique and insightful ways.
The format will be simple. Around the 15th of each month, I will post one or more selected poems in this forum. Everyone is invited to read, reflect, and participate in your own way. You may join us for a monthly live discussion via Zoom (typically on the third Sunday of the month), and/or share your reflections here in the forum.
Our selections will be drawn primarily from Zen literature, but will also (from time to time) include poetry and verse from other contemplative traditions and writers whose work resonates with common Zen themes such as impermanence, interconnection, simplicity, silence, and direct experience.
There are no formal commitments and no books to buy.
The intention is not scholarly analysis or the search for “correct” interpretations, but rather shared reflection and inquiry. Whether you already love poetry or generally avoid it, I invite you to join us for what I hope will be a fresh and uniquely Zen approach to engaging with poetry. I sincerely hope that this practice will help us all better appreciate how poetry can serve as a powerful expression of the Dharma.
Please note that while I will be facilitating our selections and discussions, my role is simply that of a fellow practitioner helping to foster conversation and reflection. Any opinions or perspectives I share should be understood in that spirit.
I will post our first selections in the coming days. Please share any questions or thoughts you may have in the meantime.
Gassho,
Seikan
Beginning this month, we will gather around one or two carefully selected poems (or occasionally a longer verse text) and explore together how they speak to our practice, our lives, and the Dharma in general.
Poetry has long been interwoven with Buddhism—and Zen, in particular. One reason for this is that poetry can be a powerful means of using language to point beyond language, expressing something of the ineffable that cannot be fully captured in words. Yet, as words are what we have to work with, poets have used them (often quite sparingly) to point towards the Dharma in unique and insightful ways.
The format will be simple. Around the 15th of each month, I will post one or more selected poems in this forum. Everyone is invited to read, reflect, and participate in your own way. You may join us for a monthly live discussion via Zoom (typically on the third Sunday of the month), and/or share your reflections here in the forum.
Our selections will be drawn primarily from Zen literature, but will also (from time to time) include poetry and verse from other contemplative traditions and writers whose work resonates with common Zen themes such as impermanence, interconnection, simplicity, silence, and direct experience.
There are no formal commitments and no books to buy.
The intention is not scholarly analysis or the search for “correct” interpretations, but rather shared reflection and inquiry. Whether you already love poetry or generally avoid it, I invite you to join us for what I hope will be a fresh and uniquely Zen approach to engaging with poetry. I sincerely hope that this practice will help us all better appreciate how poetry can serve as a powerful expression of the Dharma.
Please note that while I will be facilitating our selections and discussions, my role is simply that of a fellow practitioner helping to foster conversation and reflection. Any opinions or perspectives I share should be understood in that spirit.
I will post our first selections in the coming days. Please share any questions or thoughts you may have in the meantime.
Gassho,
Seikan
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