http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com

Sacred poetry from around the world. Daily poetry from Sufi, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian sacred traditions, along with commentary.

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Yunus Emre - Tue, 27 Jun 2006
Posted: June 2006

Yunus Emre - "True speech is the fruit of not speaking." - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. With this song, Yunus Emre gives us a sharply teasing reminder that even if we follow all of the rules of our religious tradition, that's not the same thing as achieving saintliness or holiness.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Akka Mahadevi - Mon, 5 Jun 2006
Posted: June 2006

Akka Mahadevi - "You are the forest" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. I really like the image of God (in this case, Shiva) as a forest, as every tree in the forest, and simultaneously as the myriad of animals "playing in and out / of all the trees".

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Mary Oliver - Mon, 15 May 2006
Posted: May 2006

Mary Oliver - "Sunrise" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. Another way to enter fire today from Mary Oliver...

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Abu-Said Abil-Kheir - Tue, 2 May 2006
Posted: May 2006

Abu-Said Abil-Kheir - "Love came" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Hakim Sanai - Wed, 26 Apr 2006
Posted: April 2006

Hakim Sanai - "Belief brings me close to You" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. Belief, devout religious practice will bring you close, but only so far... (And Ivan gets a little creative with his audio editing.)

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Thomas Merton - Fri, 14 Apr 2006
Posted: April 2006

Thomas Merton - "The Sowing of Meanings" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. An Easter poem for us today...

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Paramahansa Yogananda
Posted: April 2006

Paramahansa Yogananda - "God! God! God!" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Vladimir Solovyov
Posted: March 2006

Vladimir Solovyov - "All in azure today" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. Solovyov was a philosopher, poet, literary critic and a mystic with an intense connection to the Divine in the form of the feminine archetype of Sophia or Holy Wisdom.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Vidyapati - Wed, 1 Mar 2006
Posted: March 2006

Vidyapati - "All my inhibition left me in a flash," - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. This is a beautiful example of how the soul can yearn for God with such a passion that it can be described in erotic terms.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Poetic Medicine - Interview with John Fox, CPT
Posted: February 2006

A thought-provoking and inspiring conversation with John Fox, certified poetry therapist and author of Poetic Medicine, about the power of poetry to open us up to new possibilities in life, tap our own hidden wisdom, and communicate with others.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Kabir - Wed, 15 Feb 2006
Posted: February 2006

Kabir - "My body is flooded" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. With deep opening, there is a sense of being flooded or even overwhelmed by waves of heat, like flames or a fever...

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

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Seyh Galib - Wed, 8 Feb 2006
Posted: February 2006

Seyh Galib - "Love is a lamp of God, I am its moth;" - with commentary by Ivan M. Granger. This poem, like much of Sufi poetry, uses a language of the profane to describe the oneness with God as the Divine Beloved.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.