All Things/Beings Transmit The Truth

This is an offering of merit post, for Rev. Master Teigan who died yesterday. Some readers will remember him, as I do, as a kind and benevolent soul. A true bass singer that had the floor vibrating under one’s feet! And for our earth. Mugo

The lovely, late, Emily Levine reads ON THE FIFTH DAY by Jane Hirshfield

On the fifth day
the scientists who studied the rivers
were forbidden to speak
or to study the rivers.

The scientists who studied the air
were told not to speak of the air,
and the ones who worked for the farmers
were silenced,
and the ones who worked for the bees.

Someone, from deep in the Badlands,
began posting facts.

The facts were told not to speak
and were taken away.
The facts, surprised to be taken, were silent.

Now it was only the rivers
that spoke of the rivers,
and only the wind that spoke of its bees,

while the unpausing factual buds of the fruit trees
continued to move toward their fruit.

The silence spoke loudly of silence,
and the rivers kept speaking,
of rivers, of boulders and air.

In gravity, earless and tongueless,
the untested rivers kept speaking.

Bus drivers, shelf stockers,
code writers, machinists, accountants,
lab techs, cellists kept speaking.

They spoke, the fifth day,
of silence.

 

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6 thoughts on “All Things/Beings Transmit The Truth”

  1. I believe Rev.Master Teigan was one of the two male monks running Throssel when I first visited ? I shall offer up prayers on his behalf.Thank you for the news.

  2. Sending merit to Rev. Master Teigan. The poem, which I read for the first time only recently, is so powerful.

  3. So sad to learn of Rev. Teigan’s passing. I remember him from the early days at Throssel all those years back when he and Rev Rokusan helped run the place.
    __/\__
    Norman.

  4. Dear Rev. Master Teigan was the first Buddhist monk I met in 1981 at the Berkeley Priory when it was located in Oakland. He was a tremendous help to me in those early days as I struggled to reconcile my catholic upbringing with Buddhist ceremonial. He was such a kind man and wise priest. I offer the merit of today’s training to him, wherever he may be.

  5. I had the privilege of meeting Reverend Master Teigan when he visited the Harrogate Group many moons ago. Pat Oldham and other Sangha friends were there. His name sits on my home altar merit list (sadly expanding quite rapidly of late) along with an offering of mini chocolate bunnies. With bows of gratitude for his teaching, gentle manner, humour – and sublime precenting.

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