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

Gelek Rimpoche’s 75th Birthday

October 25, 2014admin

 

Tomorrow – Gelek Rimpoche‘s 75th Birthday – This evening in New York City there will be a special gala event (with musical guests Paul Simon and Philip Glass, and more) hosted by the painter Francesco Clemente, a “diamond birthday celebration”, in his New York studio. On Sunday, in Ann Arbor, at the Jewel Heart Center, celebrations continue – Tenzhuk (Long Life) Puja at 11.00 a.m. and a Joyful Birthday Reception at 3.30 p.m. For more on Jewel Heart – see here For earlier notices on Gelek on the Allen Ginsberg Project – see here and … Read More

Allen Ginsberg’s Parinirvana

April 5, 2011admin

14 years ago today Allen died (in his recently-purchased New York City (East Village) loft, surrounded by a select circle of family and friends. Here’s Rosebud Pettet’s lucid description of that occasion Here’s Colin Still’s and Jonas Mekas’ documentary footage. Here’s Gelek Rinpoche’s first hand account- [this link is no longer available but see –  here]
“I wrote my own funeral poem”.,. Allen told him, shall I read it to you?
[“Gone Gone Gone” Collected Poems 1947-1997 NY, Harper Perennial 2006]

Allen, of course, is far from gone, his spirit lives on with the flowering

… Read More

Digital Dharma

March 20, 2011admin

Jewel Heart is pleased to announce the launch of its new website: “The new site features a significant visual makeover, a new streamlined user-friendly interface and, most importantly, a growing library of Gelek Rimpoche’s teachings available through downloads and streaming, both live and on demand”. “Digital dharma”, they call it, “audio and visual dharma through digital downloads, transcripts of Gelek Rinpoche’s teachings spanning back to the mid-80’s”.… 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