Poetry As Dharma Practice - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher

In this talk, Banshō weaves together spiritual poems from across traditions—Christian, Sufi, Taoist, and Zen—to show how poetry can be a living expression of dharma. Beginning with reflections on the rarity of “radical presence,” he invites us to experience poetry as more than words: as truth, practice, heart, and shared human experience. Through poems like Joyce Rupp’s The Perfect Cup , David Whyte’s Everything is Waiting for You , Rumi’s The Guest House , and Dōgen’s timeless verses, he illustrates how beauty, impermanence, and the fullness of human emotions all belong to practice. The talk closes with selections from the Tao Te Ching , pointing to the great mystery—emptiness, interconnection, and the way of reality—revealed in the ordinary and the fleeting. This talk was given on September 21st 2025 during the GVZM Sunday Program. ★ Support this podcast ★