After Lalon & Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

September 16, 2017Simon Pettet

This weekend we present the first of what we hope will be many many more posts – a look into the extraordinary collection (now digitalized and made available on line) via the Stanford University archives. Though there’s a breath-taking two-thousand plus audios, we’re starting with some of the video materials, and thought to start with this one – a 1993 recording of  Allen reading his poem “After Lalon”, (followed by a discourse by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, in the company of Allen and Gelek Rimpoche)

[Lalon-Sha (c.1772-1890) – the only portrait sketched during his lifetime – Indian National Museum] … Read More

Buddhism and The Beats (Ginsberg 1993 – Q & A)

July 22, 2017Simon Pettet

Following on from last week’s “Buddhists and The Beats” video -the Q & A, the final segment.

Do we have time for questions.?

AG: Yes, sure

Q: You said that your poetry is a practice as well, so..is it..do you meditate every day? do you use poetry as a practice?

AG: It’s a form of practice. I sit now about forty minutes to an hour every day. There have been long periods where I’ve sat for an hour, two hours, every day, and there have been long periods where I have been on retreats where I would sit all day, … Read More

July 4th

July 4, 2017Simon Pettet

[Allen Ginsberg on Central Park Bandstand, 5th Avenue Peace Demonstration to Stop The War in Vietnam. 1966 -Photograph by Fred W McDarrah c. the Estate of Fred W McDarrah and Getty Images]

The iconic image by the great Fred W. McDarrah of Allen in his “Uncle Sam” hat greets us this July 4th. From the Sotheby’s catalog of Allen’s possessions: “Ginsberg did not save the original hat that he wore in the [McDarrah] photo but he received several hats as gifts after the famous photo debuted” like this one that he placed on the head of his teacher, Gelek Rimpoche… Read More

Gelek Rimpoche (1939-2017)

February 15, 2017Simon Pettet

screenshot-2017-02-15-18-13-45

[Gelek Rimpoche, New York City, February 1990. Photograph by Allen Ginsberg)]

It is with heavy heart and sadness that we announce the death today of Gelek Rinpoche, the great Tibetan lama and Allen’s spiritual teacher.

As announced on his Facebook page – “Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche, our dear teacher and friend  passed away this morning at 6 AM. We will keep him in our thoughts today and every day. Information regarding arrangements will be posted on the Jewel Heart International Facebook Page as we receive it and we ask you to respect the privacy of his immediate family at this … Read More

Friday’s Weekly Round-Up – 302

February 10, 2017Simon Pettet

jack-kerouac-e-neal-cassady

[Neal Cassady and Jack  Kerouac]

[Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac – The Joan Anderson Letter via Heritage Auctions]

The legendary Joan Anderson letter is back in the news again. “The seminal piece of literature of the Beat Generation”, Neal Cassady’s epic letter to Jack Kerouac, which, for almost sixty years, was thought missing and then was miraculously rediscovered and put up for auction (only to, surprisingly, fail to reach its asking price) is up for auction again.

The auction date is March 8. Bidding begins approximately February 17th (next week). Full details may be found at Heritage … Read More

Art, Creativity and Tibetan Buddhism

May 1, 2009admin

For those of you in the New York City area, here’s a chance to catch Gelek Rinpoche, Philip Glass, Francesco Clemente and Michael Imperioli on the same stage discussing relevance of art & spirituality in a benefit event for Gelek Rinpoche’s Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist organization. It’s at the Great Hall at Cooper Union, in lower Manhattan, Saturday May 9th, 7pm. Check Jewel Heart’s website for more details and tickets.… Read More