Loading Events

« All Courses

  • This event has passed.
Expressing the Inexpressible in Zen Poetry

Online Program
Dates: Mar 27, 2020 - Mar 29, 2020

Instructor(s): William Edelglass

Course Navigation

Program Description:
Share

Zen poetry expresses the inexpressible and reaches into our hearts, showing path, practice, and insight with joy and delight. In our time together, we will explore this poetry as the study and practice of turning words, words that bring about profound shifts in how we look at ourselves and the world. We will study ancient and modern poems from China, Japan, Korea, and North America. And we will write our own poems in response to them! The weekend will include lectures, meditation, discussions, and writing exercises. We will explore some traditional forms, such as haiku, and also experiment with poetic expression of our very lives and understanding.


Noble Silence:
Noble silence will be observed following each evening session through breakfast the following morning. Additional silent practice periods will be scheduled throughout the program.

Experience Level:
Suitable for beginning and experienced practitioners.
    About the Instructor(s):
  • William Edelglass is Director of Studies at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.  He also teaches at Smith College, where he is the Director of the Five College Tibetan Studies Program in India, and is adjunct professor at the Central University for Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India.  His scholarship explores questions in Buddhist studies, environmental humanities, and philosophy.  William has practiced in several different Buddhist traditions and has taught widely in dharma centers, academia, as a wilderness guide, and in several Tibetan academic institutions in India.  William’s most recent book is The Routledge Handbook of Indian Buddhist Philosophy.