#poetry

Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Nov 26, 2018
1 min

The mind that comes to rest is tended In some ways that it cannot intend

Wendell Berry's words give us an understanding of why it is so hard to describe meditation ... "The mind that comes to rest is tended In some ways that it cannot intend Is born, preserved, and comprehended By what it cannot comprehend." ~ Wendell Berry, from 1979 in This Day The naturalness of deep rest meditation the deeper nature of resting. The resonance of generosity...the sheer ongoingness that giving is and does... Wendell Berry giving into his poems, along

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Nov 18, 2018
1 min

Keeping good company in the rain

Another old CD coming back to life--Handel's Messiah-- has kept me company driving in the rain this week. Listening and singing along brought me to some kind of intersection-- a Monty Python-esque funny bone, the majestic sweep of harmonies, and a kinship felt in ancient shepherd poetry. Within all the absurdity and vastness, we're not so different after all, so then what? I had not paid as much attention to three passages that stood out this week: "All we like sheep," "Why

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"That crazy girl has wooed the divine..."

Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Nov 2, 2018
1 min

"That crazy girl has wooed the divine..."

Celebrating the craziness of just being yourself, and yet wooing the divine. Celebrating Kabir's kind of craziness. The swan of our inner life or soul will fly away alone some day, says Kabir, so find what's worthwhile to find--woo and marry and celebrate that. Sing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpWAKSGZZ6A&list=PLYQZAsoWq_KSzBnNKonHDmWCdpgIiFKY4 It's the kind of speech no eye can see Kabir says, Listen to the word spoken in every body ~Kabir (transl. L

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Jun 7, 2018
1 min

true quiet

Ask the world to reveal its quietude- not the silence of machines when they are still, but the true quiet by which birdsongs, trees, bellworts, snails, clouds, storms become what they are, and are nothing else. ~Wendell Berry Thanks to Kane for sharing this excerpt #poetry #WendellBerry #nature #ecology #silence #meditation #nonduality

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Feb 8, 2018
1 min

Beginning in blessing

Painting by Jaya Julienne Ashmore Though your destination is not yet clear, You can trust the promise of this opening, Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning, That is at one with your life's desire. from "Blessing a new beginning" in John O'Donohue's To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings Thanks to Emma Philander for sharing this with me. #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Dec 21, 2016
1 min

Living

The fire in leaf and grass so green it seems each summer the last summer. The wind blowing, the leaves shivering in the sun, each day the last day. A red salamander so cold and so easy to catch, dreamily Moves his delicate feet and long tail. I hold my hand open for him to go. Each minute the last minute. ~Denise Levertov #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Jul 1, 2012
1 min

Jaya wrote this little poem while on retreat in Holland in July newsletter august 2011

Jaya wrote this little poem while on retreat in Holland in July. gentle back... why bother thinking? the whole of creation rises up shining like a mantle of joy to follow #Newsletter #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Nov 26, 2009
1 min

postcard Tiru January 2009

Galaxies of golden dragonflies swirling over the well Rain splashes through the new roof, geckos bark, purple lotus closed in the bright morning, opens, then closes, then opens. Forty people walk the story, a coiled path from big bang to bacteria—candles and string drawing freshly made space, feet tracing times: through flowering plants to faces fins fingers finely woven beginningless life unraveling; perfect center drops endlessly leaning out falling in

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

May 3, 2008
1 min

postcard Sierra de Gredos May 2008

3 May, 2008 Sierra de Gredos, Spain, morning This morning I went out in the blue-black to beat the forgotten wake-up gong. The white wake of a tiny early airplane (invisible, gone) unzipped heaven all the way down to the curl of moon about to set #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Mar 16, 2007
1 min

Parmarth Niketan Ashram, India, 10-day retreat, March 2007.

Between orange schoolhouse—boys in yellow—and parking lot/cricket field, our meditation hall. In the parking lot 8 white cars wear red VIP police lights, and 8 white rabbit “use me” trash cans peek through the fence. Guards let everyone past the sign: “Silence. No entry without Permission.” Bells, loudspeakers, fire prayers. Green lychee blossoms. Green lychee shade. #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Feb 9, 2007
1 min

35-day retreat in Kotdwar, 2007

1. Day 2 During cleaning in the hall 3-inch black scorpion Outside boys throw lumps of clay over the wall at our private interviews, give flowers to someone on a walk Day 6 Turning around to arrive Day 7 Ripe wheat flat slopes up to sudden low mountains (forest on uncommon shapes) Afternoon wrapped women wave green flags of weeds, bundled then tossed out of golden wheat slant backlit western hills burn lavender eastern hills bask in green patchworks Late E

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Jan 12, 2007
1 min

Bodh Gaya post card 2007

The Tibetan girl in red and black plays the Chenrezig game—walks with eyes closed from one corner of the temple across white marble towards the statue of the bodhisattva of compassion. Her palms face to face held up in front of her face. If her hands meet his feet, she gets her wish. She veers to the left, then straightens out her path, grabs his ankles. She peeked. On the last morning of the retreat, during breakfast, before the closing talk, I went to the Bodhi

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Dec 7, 2006
1 min

Bad Meinberg, Germany, 2006

Germany. Cold-winter-colorless April East Germany: Cheap ice cream, bakery white buns, women’s hair nets white aprons, harsh look soft bread Johanna on roller blades, slipper logs, bicycle; 6-week-old daughter, the youngest retreatant, only 2 or 3 peeps all week. Her mother a tango dancer with black hair to hips Her father (not by blood) a philosopher who loves books People felt: trust body, not should, connect even if nurse on duty. Spring sprang, daffodil dappled—th

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Nov 2, 2006
1 min

Trinity Mountains, California, 2006

A green tarp roof; a green tarp floor. Walls of air, open to redwoods, ants. Hummingbirds throb by our cooling heads, and mosquitoes flit through and sip. Amazing to know that Silver Springs Mountain Retreat was offered to us on a completely donation basis. Amazing to taste the food cooked under the sky, with a view of Mount Shasta. Amazing to hear the rustling of opening hearts, deep eyes. #poetry

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Sep 30, 2006
1 min

Jerusalem post card september 2006

dawn soft naked lavender jasmine breath spills in and out chicken rhythms, white stony barely hills barely green— where green, dark green, dusted except this willow dripping first light Jerusalem 20.10.06 across warty browning vineyard, beyond utility tower lines, across the highway, the crest of Jonn’s wilderness hill—reforested, headlights, red roofs, water tanks. in the morning for hours rising up like a wall— chicken voices startled to be alive again white

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

Jul 1, 2006
1 min

Mexico post card july 2006

unripe lupines jewel birds attacked trees still grow barred cottages organic milk salad of diced cactus tomatoes are green jicamates are red Sprigs of bouncy pine cross the path, comb my heavy hair. Todo tan humedo que solo la quinta cerilla se illumina. Flotando en las nubes, Cerro de las Estrellas, tallest volcano in North America. I looked straight out over the valley--not down into it--and he was at eye level. Se borra de nuevo el volcan. black volcano's belly

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Jaya Julienne Ashmore

May 27, 2006
1 min

Saskatchewan canada post card may 2006

In my dreams I was Naked, I was uncovering the ancient sites, carved stone secrets of a harmonious people. In my waking, I was in green, meeting eyes of willingness, heart of peace. In my sleep I was invisible silk catching you when you fell And lifting you. Now I am clothed in lilacs, bunches this wind these striped clouds and naked ground. #poetry

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