Wonderful detailed talk about particulars of writing and the lives of Anne and Allen. Allen is a deliberate and wise old man. The Q&A at the end is wonderful too, especially the last question where Allen lays down a great protest against "spiritually ambitious" abstractions in favor of open hearted candor. A wonderful and funny talk.
0: Intro by Anne Waldman
3:40: Anne opens with notes on Poetry as Siddhi
15:50: Allen's Talk:
25:30: Very interesting discussion about common problem of "writing your mind"- self consciousness ("writing about my hand moving across the page"). AG claims a shallow self-consciousness lies on the surface and that underneath you will find the fish in the shadow (the focused contents of mind). [this seems to me like a big problem to many who try AG's method. If they navigate the straits of thought-cliches or fake spontaneity they crash on the rocks of souless literalism of minute particulars.](see also Spontaneous Mind p. 371)
49:30: Anne's Talk
58:00: Ngondro visualization technique.
1:05:45: Q&A
- "AG elaborate on 'there is no enlightenment'"? AG singchants the
Prajnaparamita or heart Sutra unaccompanied.
1:12: "How to balance sitting and writing?" Anne answers but actually this question was how to make writing better by sitting without corrupting your sitting practice with a ego-driven goal of better writing- a very interesting question.
1:14:20: "No permanent soul and reincarnation?"
1:15: "What did AG get out of Buddhism that he didn't get from Judaism"
1:16: "Jew in the lotus reaction?"
1:17:40: "We gain enlightenment every day?"
1:19:30: AG's Great Exposition Against Spiritually Ambitious Luftmensch Mind. (to me it sounds alot like a celebration of
2nd nen over 3rd nen)
I believe the handout that AG mentions was reproduced in the Appendix of Gach's
What Book?. Allen's
Mindwriting slogans can be found here.
NAROPA ARCHIVISTS ROCK!