Full Description
This book introduces haiku as a simple and effective way of tapping into the sacred moments that permeate everyday living. Starting with examples and practices that lead to writing a first haiku and then on to an overview of haiku conventions, the author invites us on a path to respond to the holiness that lives and breathes in the world around us. By capturing and writing down images of what makes us aware of holiness - particular moments of deep feeling, moments that make us feel alive and whole - writing haiku becomes a way of relating to the sacred through the "now" of this moment, just as is.
Lively examples and simple guided exercises - such as haiku as prayer, haiku inspired by sacred texts and haiku that reflects religious seasons or holidays - offer a unique spiritual practice for a variety of audiences:
· Spiritual seekers of any faith who may not have written haiku
(or any form of verse) before but are open to exploring wordplay
as a new path of spiritual practice
· People curious about haiku writing who are looking for a simple
and meaningful way to begin
· Writers experienced in haiku writing who are looking for new
approaches
· Groups, teachers and religious leaders who are seeking new and
effective methods for group experience and sharing (the book
includes suggestions and practices for group use)
· Prose writers or visual artists who want to explore spiritual
imagery they can integrate into their creative work
Contents
Introduction 1
CHAPTER ONE: The Heart of a Moment 9
CHAPTER TWO: A Simple Prayer 25
CHAPTER THREE: A Companionable Form 41
CHAPTER FOUR: A Sense of Time and Place 61
CHAPTER FIVE: Inspired Conversations 83
CHAPTER SIX: Haiku in Community 101
CHAPTER SEVEN: Haiku with Pictures or Prose 123
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Haiku Life 137
Acknowledgments 146
Haiku Resources 148
Notes 154
Suggestions for Further Reading 159
Credits 162
Index of Practices 167
Index of Poets 168
