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    The Path
    The Path
    The Path
    Ebook170 pages1 hour

    The Path

    By Silent Temple

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The Path offers a beautifully poetic vision of an unorthodox spiritual journey spanning nearly a decade and a half. The author, Silent Temple, is neoZen in his orientation but also subtly existential and unbounded in his sensibilities. The book is beautifully illustrated by the author, as well. A must read by Western and Eastern audiences for its insights, depth of vision, and artistic mastery.
    The author’s journey began in 1997. It was then that he literally jumped into the proverbial spiritual Abyss, beginning a rigorous meditative and contemplative practice, leaving his work as a scientist behind while trusting his fate to the universe. About five years later, a Bodhisattva, Sr. Eveleen Forkin of the Marist Sisters, financed an art studio and meditation hall for Silent Temple to build, providing affirmation he had never known and setting into motion a unique spiritual and creative path out of which developed a form of neoZen, also called Silent Temple. However, in 2007 he stopped painting, having reached that barrier that so many unrecognized artists do, but continued on his spiritual journey, leading meditations, giving spiritual talks, further developing Silent Temple, and progressively entering into a life of vowed poverty and service to others. During 2009 and 2010 he lived in Vihti, Finland (Suomi) where he carried on his meditative life and continued writing poetry and neoZen talks, thanks to Tarja Stegars of Finland, a gifted plastic surgeon and painter. He also began painting again. Poems and paintings related to his stay in Finland are found in the section of The Path titled Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi.
    The Path is divided into three sections. The first section, The Stream of Awareness, consists of poems indicative of Silent Temple’s spiritual experiences and progressions over a period 15 years. All poems in the first section are presented in chronological order but are not dated. The second section, Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi, marks a period of intense solitude in the Finnish countryside. This section is divided into the four seasons in honor of the traditional oriental format for nature poetry. The third section, Miscellaneous, exists merely as a demarcation between the author’s stay in Finland and his present state of being shortly after leaving Finland, having been separated from a Europe of his belonging and love.
    Silent Temple’s life has been, is, and shall be to the core spiritual. Being dichotomously both free spirit and secular monk, he is nevertheless always inclined towards and relating from the Heart. Witnessing this miracle, it is known as wind, rain, snow, cloud, sun, and dandelions for Silent Temple. All that is ordinary being creation’s first and last breath.
    For a rare artistic read with creative reference frames arising from the author’s intuitive depths, a more profound book cannot be obtained.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSilent Temple
    Release dateApr 10, 2011
    ISBN9781452429540
    The Path
    Author

    Silent Temple

    Silent Temple is a poet, writer, singer, painter, and free spirit. Over the last several years he developed a form of neoZen that has been named Silent Temple. Silent Temple neoZen encourages radical individualism, creativity, and practiced kindness outside of traditional structures.

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      Book preview

      The Path - Silent Temple

      The Path

      by

      Silent Temple

      Published by Silent Temple at Smashwords

      Registered Copyright 2011 by Silent Temple.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations. Email inquiry information can be obtained at Silent Temple website or simply post to Silent Temple, 5864 N Camino Esplendora, Tucson, AZ 85718.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for the recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      A special thank you to Tarja Juvonen of Egina, OY, Helsinki, Finland, for allowing the publication of some poems originally found in the book Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi, also by Silent Temple, for which Egina holds publishing rights.

      Artwork and cover design by Silent Temple

      Dedication

      This book of poems I do dedicate to:

      Eveleen Forkin, a sister in spirit, a divine hand of help, a living benediction, and a good potato farmer to boot. May the fields always be with her!

      and

      Aira Miettinen, a gifted master of spirit, a rare Oracle, an angel made flesh, and flesh made an angel.

      Preface

      The following poems are icons of an unorthodox spiritual journey spanning nearly 15 years of my life. The journey began in 1997. It was then that I literally jumped into the proverbial Abyss, and began a rigorous meditative and contemplative practice. About five years later, a wonderful Bodhisattva, Sr. Eveleen Forkin of the Marist Sisters, financed an art studio and meditation hall for me to build, providing affirmation I had never known and setting into motion a unique spiritual and creative path out of which I developed a form of neoZen called Silent Temple. However, in 2007 I stopped painting, having reached that barrier that so many unrecognized artists do, but continued on my spiritual journey, leading meditations, giving spiritual talks, further developing Silent Temple, and progressively entering into a life of vowed poverty and service to others. During 2009 and 2010 I lived in Vihti, Finland (Suomi) where I carried on my meditative life and continued writing poetry and neoZen talks, thanks to Tarja Stegars of Finland, a gifted plastic surgeon and painter. I also began painting again. Poems and paintings related to my stay in Finland are found in the section titled Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi.

      This book is divided into three Sections. The first section, The Stream of Awareness, consists of poems indicative of my spiritual experiences and progressions over the last 15 years. All poems in this section are presented in chronological order but are not dated. The second section, Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi, marks a period of intense solitude in the Finnish countryside. This section is divided into the four seasons in honor of the traditional oriental format for nature poetry. The third section, Miscellaneous, exists merely as a demarcation between my stay in Finland and my present state of being shortly after leaving Finland, having been separated from a Europe of my belonging and love.

      My life has been, is, and shall be to the core spiritual. Being dichotomously both free spirit and secular monk, I am nevertheless always inclined towards and relating from the Heart. Witnessing this miracle, it is known to me as wind, rain, snow, cloud, sun, and dandelions. All that is ordinary is creation’s first and last breath. I do so adore this reality and I am so very privileged to walk this earth with you. Let us all, everyone, write our stories, one to the other, and incline our hearts to hear the first and the last words of creation.

      Silent Temple

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Section1 - The Stream of Awareness

      Section2 - Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi

      Section3 - Miscellaneous

      Section1

      The Stream of Awareness

      ~~~

      Holding fast to mother’s frozen breasts,

      All autumn’s blushing hid by time’s white kiss,

      And feinting death to wind’s lifeless envy

      Like holy bones in windswept caves,

      It is the winter tree.

      Heavy are its tears these barren times,

      All crystalline gleaming gems upon some frozen pyre,

      Untouched by flame or eulogy

      ‘Till at last spring yields a living bosom.

      It is hope that plays the trick on death,

      Sleeping within the winter’s cold light,

      To wake again a springtime day.

      ~~~

      Diverse worlds opposed to nature love not.

      Tyrants sit upon armchairs and thrones alike

      While angels pace the earth

      With tattered wings and shabby coats,

      Unaware of their poverty.

      Heaven is heaven’s and earth is earth’s.

      Great is uncertainty within the mind,

      But not a care is there when Spirit enters the heart.

      All are eternal that know it,

      And not knowing, forgiven.

      The Spirit is in emptiness

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