I
was very inspired to be able to follow this spiritual practitioner
to the deepest and most private corners of Her being. The reader
finds Her in love and passionate, in despair as well as in joy,
when the spirit gloriously shines to when the mind is engulfed
by the fire of passion. I could feel the seemingly endless and
dramatic inner struggle between ignorance and enlightenment, between
the upward struggle of righteousness and the downward pull of
enticement.
I no longer see the model of spiritual
asceticism that leaves one desiccated from abstinence as being
correct for spiritual practitioners. On the contrary, I have seen
clearly a refreshingly new image which is bright, innocent, and
full of life. The poet refers to matters that are normally seen
as prohibited in a carefree manner. She mentions past love with
a tranquil heart, talks of passion with a pure heart, recalls
all the sadness with a heart that is no longer sad, and speaks
of past despair with a heart full of hope. This positive, relaxed
and uninhibited attitude surely can only exist when a spiritual
practitioner has reached the pinnacle of enlightenment. (originally
in Aulacese, excerpted from Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine
#78)
~Thu
Phong, Aulacese poet
Join Together to Appreciate
the
Poetry of "Faded Love"
The
beloved has left. What stays behind is a love that is dying. With
many years having passed away, a solitary shadow is still waiting
by the side of a bridge, not knowing where the cherished one has
gone. Dreams and fragrances are fragmented but still lingering.
The passionate love that lasted for six months is now fading like
the setting sun. Oh, what could one do? The saint is gentle and
the poet is melancholy. And it is a combination of the saintliness
and the heart of a poet that produced the yearning in "Faded Love"
which is so eloquent and charming. The poem was meant to be a
poem about lost love. But amongst the words and between the lines,
there is no indication of grievance and enmity. What is there
is the quiet flow of tender feelings like that of water. Being
exposed to poetry like this, I feel my heart is getting closer
to the beloved saint. Happiness and joy surge from my heart.
~A
Formosa reader who loves poetry
