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Scattered Memories
Published here for the first time, these fifty poems, explore his journey from young boy in Vietnam to being a leader in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community. The early poems reflect childhood memories of war and destruction yet are also full of romantic and poetic imagery. His later poems convey a profound wisdom and spaciousness of heart. A Zen Master in his own right, he led a life committed to cultivating great compassion and liberation through inner discovery. Light in spirit, loving and wise, sometimes strict, and often humorous, these poems perfectly capture Giác Thanh’s clarity, wisdom, and kindness.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 28, 2018
It's always hard to rate translated work, especially poetry. I enjoyed this collection by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, but it isn't something I'll remember years from now.
May 1, 2018
Happiness
The sound of laughter is still clear in my memory.
Spring has come,
Someone hoes the soil and plants flowers.
Sunlight awakens,
White flowers open to branch tips.
I come home in this immense universe.
Contemplative poetry of the Zen Buddhist tradition - simplistic themes with emphasis on mindfulness and peace. The collection is a dual translation: Vietnamese on the left, and English on the right. Many of the poems are also annotated by Giac Thanh, sharing events in his life that inspired them, his spiritual practices, and dedications to teachers, family, and loved ones.
The sound of laughter is still clear in my memory.
Spring has come,
Someone hoes the soil and plants flowers.
Sunlight awakens,
White flowers open to branch tips.
I come home in this immense universe.
Contemplative poetry of the Zen Buddhist tradition - simplistic themes with emphasis on mindfulness and peace. The collection is a dual translation: Vietnamese on the left, and English on the right. Many of the poems are also annotated by Giac Thanh, sharing events in his life that inspired them, his spiritual practices, and dedications to teachers, family, and loved ones.
January 20, 2018
I was way more interested in the story of Thich Giac Thanh than his poetry. I didn't enjoy most of the poems in this book. Maybe something got lost in translation? I thought the poems were a little simplistic and didn't have the sound of poetry. I didn't realize this when I bought the book, but it's published by a company that only publishes Buddhist literature. I don't have a problem with Buddhism nor indie publishers, but it only reinforces my opinion that the poetry simply isn't good enough for a mainstream publisher. (Or you could look at it the other way and say that I'm just not the target audience for Buddhist poetry).
July 24, 2020
very refreshing, appreciated the positive sentiments, am not sure if it was meant to be simple in style or if that was just lost in translation but otherwise was an easy read with some very cool lines and sentiments. particularly liked tea as a theme in some of the works
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews