The Wedding With The Sun & Birds
The below is pretty close to the Introduction I wrote for a new book series I hope to get out this year. I felt offering it like this, on my website, would help polish it, as I can go over these blog entries many times, trying to refine any gold in them there might be. And I like this book & series title a lot, and would expound on it... in the book. Thanks for any time you might give this— with a kind eye.
The Wedding With The Sun & Birds
Poems & Reflections
by Daniel Ladinsky
Introduction
I have been writing most every day for over 30 years now, ever since my teacher in India plugged me deep into Rumi & Hafiz. I tell about that in the most detailed, personal and expanded way in my book: The Purity of Desire, 100 Poems of Rumi. I talk about that for a while— that begins on page xix.
This book, my agent and I first plan to publish as an ebook as part of a maybe extended series. And after Part 1 & 2, we may then shop it to a mainstream publisher, and/or self-publish it in a quality, tangible, oversized, pocket edition.
As mentioned in the title, this series will be: Poems & Reflections, and something of an autobiography at times.
I really have had a rather extraordinary life. Poems-words from my published books have reached millions around the world. Why is that? I guess in part because the human being so cares about freedom; so cares about tasting more and more of the Sky; and knowing more and more of their own wondrous Self— therein a vital, needed independence at times—and knowing in very eloquent, poetic terms—their own so, so knockout, knockout— ultimate destiny.
We can so care about our wings— hearts, spirits— unfurling and caressing the sun and heavens; and the birds, the birds... representing so many creatures— incognito angels are really all living forms.
Knowing as much as you can— all is really your lover— you really have no adversaries, the clearer your vision becomes. To safeguard, empower, and inspire is what I think draws so many intelligent people to the writings, and Art, of the great ones. And too, as I have been saying lately: to me the remarkable poets like Rumi & Hafiz are like Carl Jung times ten gone poet. Gosh, for the price of a book, therein some wonderful therapy for many hours, maybe years. You might even turn into a Yoda, having gleaned enough insights and great clues to the puzzle. The puzzle, could it not be said, the moon knows about, she seems something of an expert, cause:
The moon asked about her luminosity
said, "I figured it all out."
And I think a great aid in figuring it all out, and unfurling a wing, is getting a pinch on your butt by Buddha. Who might then not jump over a wall or two (or grudges) that had ya hemmed in?
I could greatly downplay what I think was a milestone, profound, rare, rare so very rare mystical experience I feel is intimately connected to anything I have written in the last 30 years. I could call a little chapter in this book: Buddha Pinched My Fanny Big, Big Time. But probably won't call that chapter that. The experience was just too tremendous, and fantastic, and real. I became something like a Moses, penetrated to my soul by the divine light & fire of the burning bush. Seems marshmallows got roasted there, even before they landed on pages— as thousands of poems.
We are all just camping in this world for a while— let us share something around the fire— around the sacred flame of our evolution of evolving beings. We should try and make life easier for each other (cause it can get damn hard), and aid our hearts to sing and dance! We are ants turning into the mountains. How can we not need help with that!
I have some 10,000 unpublished poems, and two possible great theater plays—one an established Hollywood director expressed an interest in, for a film. And got another 1000 in seven books with Penguin at present. I have more wonderful book titles collecting dust on an inner shelf I could never finish in my life.
This old packhorse still has his saddlebags full, and wants to get as much gold to the market to help feed and free as I can while my hoofs are still moving on the planet. Soooo... this book, the start of a series, I hope to get out this year.
My so-valued agent, Melissa, created a website for me, where I blog like this, and each of those— some now over 50— are like little books I feel. I mined my heart and wits all I could on them, and they are all right here. And some were playful too— from having sat so long in Hafiz's classroom— and swam in his and Rumi's wine barrels for decades that are full of laughter— and sometimes a knowing there (in existence) the blessed thanks & drowning— the wedding with beauty. The wedding with God.
The wedding with the Sun and birds— and all life, the ant knows as it turns back into the Golden Mountain. Back into the Source, some call the Beloved, some call— my darling God.
A big hug to all, and thanks,