Category: The Arts

  • Maeve O’Sullivan.

    Morning Silence, haiku from Dónal Creedon’s Tullow Retreat, August 2018 discarded crisp bag: a faded Mr. Tayto still smiling *** talk about listening    I zone out for a bit *** walking meditation: you are moving slowly too little ladybird *** morning silence    the brewing coffee gurgles *** early drizzle creating a round stain in this…

  • Existence

      It is night. Rain pelts the roof. The soul awakens to a flooded Earth – a sea of storm  roaring, then passing. In that short moment, shirting lines and shapes, fleetingl barely seen. Before the passing moment tilts and falls to melancholy, laughter sojnds in quiet raindrops.              …

  • Reasons to Meditate

      to practice noticing to understand simple things to give myself clarity to face inevitable difficulties to make a conscious choice to welcome my feelings to know pain to experience the bliss of effort to take gentle possession of my mind to free my mind to be aware of my sinsitivity to dip below superficiality…

  • Zen Poetry

    Summer grasses: all that remains of great soldiers’ imperial dreams – Basho O Snail, Climb Mount Fuji But slowly, slowly! K.Isha   ” I have not heard of a single Buddha, past or present, who has been enlightened by sacred prayers and scriptures.” – Bassui The wind has settled, the blossoms have fallen; Birds sing,…

  • Poem

    Sitting cross legged on a wooden floor      above the tiny desk, pine branches hang in rain before my eyes thru glass – a drop falls from the roof edge broken earth here, pebbles brought from afar scattered      by white treestump, green grass Crowds the path – Grey streaks my beard, I…

  • Praise to Tara

      Praise to Tara Homage to The Three Jewels Homage to Guru, Deva and Dakini Homage to you Tara, who bloom with love and compassion Homage to you Tara, who dwell in wisdom and certainty Look how you tend to pain and ease the afflictions of all Look how you protect from dangers and lift…

  • The Buddha’s Master Plan

    The Buddha’s Master Plan

      Beneath the sea of glistening stars, Between the ethereal evening air, Lies a forest of glowing dreams, But as diverse and rich as they are, None escape the same Moonbeam. Under the lucent morning glow, Roll waves of raving emotions,  Turbid fortunes and cruel woes, The burning craving of billions,  Yet the same Sun…

  • The Practice of Compassion

    Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara)- the practice of Compassion

  • Remember by Christina Rossetti

    Remember me when I am gone away,          Gone far away into the silent land;          When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day          You tell me of our future that you plann’d:          Only remember me; you understand…

  • Haiku, Chögyam Trungpa

    The beginner in meditation Resembles a hunting dog having a bad dream ۞ His parents are having tea With his new girlfriend – Like a general inspecting his troops. ۞ Skiing in a red and blue outfit, Drinking cold beer with a lovely smile – I wonder if I’m one of them? ۞ Coming home…

  • FLAGS

      Flags are separate symbols that blow and wave, unfurl, express our pretensions that we, too, are separate, country from country body from body, mind from mind. Our bars of belief and superstition have bound us and in thrall to habit we are ready to kill in the name of a priest, an imam, a language,…

  • FROM: WHEN SNOW MOUNTAINS WEAR BLACK HATS

      May the blessings of the exalted sources of refuge, The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the Three Jewels And the Lama Yidam and Protectors, the three Roots, Pacify the terrors of illness, famine, war   And chaos in the elements: the temperatures Unbalanced, grand snow mountains – hard firm glaciers – Will melt and disappear.…

  • MINDFUL JUGGLING

  • THE BRIG

    For those who like to see things in a unity, and in time for the opening of the beautiful Queensferry Crossing in a few hours, here is the entire sequence of the Brig poems: The Brig I Too often the ford had been impassable. The river tormented with a thunderous divide between the landholds of…

  • SOWING THE SEED: SITAR ROSE

    “Sowing the Seed” is the follow up to “Blue Poppy” a film following the journey of traditional Tibetan doctors who came to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh in 2008 to learn how to cultivate their endangered wild medicinal plants.The project was conceived by Choye Akong Tulku Rinpoche who co- founded the Samye Ling Tibetan…

  • SIKKIM HAIKU SEQUENCE PART 2

    (Written by Maeve O’Sullivan on the month long retreat with Donal Creedon and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche at the Bodhicharya Retreat Centre, January 2017) January sunshine… leaves still falling roses in bloom  *** humming a tune… I haven’t played a guitar since Kathmandu  *** ‘Meditate on the sun’: his words on page 99 awash with sunlight  ***…

  • ODE TO MANCHESTER: Ani Rinchen Khandro

    The blood of Irish, Catholic immigrants And Russian, Jewish refugees Flows through the veins of this Buddhist nun, A seeker of wisdom, compassion and peace, Whose path has encircled the world and alights Now in Edinburgh, where it has stayed. But my heart cries out for Manchester, For Manchester where I was made. And I…