Stories about poetry
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about poetry from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- On the birth of my son — may he be stupidStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm quotes Su Dongpo (as 'Sung Po'): parents want a child to be intelligent; having wrecked his own life through intelligence, the poet only wishes his son stupid — then…
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Su Tung-Po, the famous Chinese poet. And if I remember as best I can, it was called 'On the Birth of my Son' that was the title. And it went something like this: "On the birth of a son most parents want them to grow up intelligent. But I hope my son turns out stupid Because I, through intelligence, have wrecked my whole life. If my son is stupid, then he'll have a very tranquil life and complete his peaceful existence by becoming a cabinet minister
- They drew a circle that shut me outAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Poem/analogy: heretic shut out by a circle; love and wisdom draw a bigger circle that includes them in — visual for mettā expanding the in-group.
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drew a circle which shut me out. Rebel heretic. Someone to flout. But love and wisdom had the wit to win. We drew a bigger circle which included them in. And I thought that was a very beautiful little analogy, a visual that sometimes people will draw a circle and which will enclose you and just shut you out from other things. But you can always build a bigger circle. A bigger circle. A bigger circle which can include so many other people