Joshu and the poets

November 18th, 2019 by Charles Cameron

It may be the poets ahve swallowed more grief than that “hot coal” could muster — but then consider the story told in Isaiah 6. 5-7,. Isaiah speaks:

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

One may always wish, trembling, for an angelic visitation.

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Posted in angels, Charles Cameron, hopkins, isaiah, koan, original face, orpheus, poetry, rilke, Uncategorized, zoo | 2 comments

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  1. Grurray:

    November 19th, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    Porcia, the wife of Brutus, reputedly died by eating hot coals.
    Also, of possible interest to you Charles is that today is the feast day of Barlaam, and the commemoration of both Barlaam and Josephat on the Russian calendar.
    .
    Barlaam is said to have died from torture for not renouncing Christ and for refusal to worship idols. When he wouldn’t break from the initial scourging, a burning coal with incense was placed in his right hand. The point of this particularly insidious torment was that once he dropped the coal it would be officially counted as an offering of incense to the false gods. Barlaam instead held the hot rock faithfully without moving until his hand was thoroughly burned. He cried out the psalm, “Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
    And then Barlaam gave up his spirit in martyrdom, was established in the glory of just repose, to forever be celebrated for steadfastly bringing Christ to Buddhists, or vice versa depending on your perspective.

  2. Charles Cameron:

    November 20th, 2019 at 12:06 am

    Why thank you!
    .
    Wiki on the topic of Barlaam and Josaphat tells us:

    The tale derives from a second to fourth century Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist text, via a Manichaean version, then the Arabic Kitab Bilawhar wa-Yudasaf (Book of Bilawhar and Yudasaf), current in Baghdad in the eighth century, from where it entered into Middle Eastern Christian circles before appearing in European versions. The two were entered in the Eastern Orthodox calendar with a feast-day on 26 August, and in the Roman Martyrology in the Western Church as “Barlaam and Josaphat” on the date of 27 November.

    Well now, November 27 happens to be the date on I was born, so I am happy to call Barlaam and Josaphat, or Bodhisattva and his Teacher, favorite saints of mine under Catholic tradition — my affection for Buddha thus seated cordially within my devotion to Christ.
    .
    Oh that all the world’s traditions were so easily accommodated each to other.