Book Bits

The Most Penetrating Preachers: Herman Hesse’s Ode to Trees

This wonderful fragment of Hermann Hesse's writing comes from a book that's actually out of print and one of the hardest of the author's books to come by - Wandering: Notes and Sketches. The book itself follows the author's contemplations through nature and the insights that transpired. Here he talks about his reverence for trees,… Continue reading The Most Penetrating Preachers: Herman Hesse’s Ode to Trees

Book Bits, The Masters

Suffering, Crying, Happy Buddha

The kind of happiness Buddhism proposes to us is not of the sunny, skipping-through-a-field-of-daisies variety, but rather a readiness and a sense of composure in facing whatever feeling might come up, be it pleasant or unpleasant. In this chapter from his book, Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness - which is based on a series… Continue reading Suffering, Crying, Happy Buddha

Jane Hirshfield
American Poetry, Poetry

Jane Hirshfield’s “A Carbon-Based Life Form”

New York-born poet Jane Hirshfield studied Zen at the San Francisco Zen Center and at the monastery in Tassajara for a total of eight years before going on to garner a host of accolades for her poetry writing and editorial work.   "A Carbon-Based Life Form" A person tired from happiness grows sober. Another, worn… Continue reading Jane Hirshfield’s “A Carbon-Based Life Form”