Buddha in Glory – A Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

This is the first time I have ever posted on poetry, my lyrical abilities are not those of the bard.  I was doing research today and found an article with the search terms ‘Buddha’ and ‘Glory’.  The results listed poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke who was born in 1875 and died in 1926.  He is one of the greatest German language poets of the 20^th century.

He wrote a very beautiful prose titled ‘Buddha in Glory’.  The original is in German but I was fortunate to find an excellent translation by the poet Ana Elsner.

Buddha in Glory

CENTER of all centers, nucleus of nuclei,
almond, that cocoons itself and sweetens, -
all this, up to all the stars,
is your fruited flesh: Be greeted.

See, you feel, how no more clings to you;
in infinity resides your vessel,
and there stands the potent nectar and is burgeoning.
And from the outside is promoted by a radiance,

for, in the highest, are your suns
fully and ardently turned about.
Certain in you is well begun,
that which surpasses (other) suns.

From: The New Poems’ Other Part

Translation © Ana Elsner

The poem is a great model of how Buddha and Buddhism seem.  A hard exterior, not many people see past the Monastery walls or the hard Buddha statues, usually made of stone or wood.  Rilke compares this to the hard exterior of an almond with the sweet flesh on the inside and he greets the Buddha he finds below the hard shell.

Once the shell of the Buddha falls away, he immediately relates to the Buddha.  Nothing clings to the Awakened One, mentioning the lack of attachment the Buddha has.  Infinity, timelessness resides within him.  The potent nectar, full and overflowing with a radiance like the suns of the sky.  The knowledge of the Buddha, the wisdom is a potent nectar to drink and illuminating.

One very important aspect of this poem is the Buddha appears in a way where only his reality matters, the outside world is not really of a dependent origin, not really there, just the Enlightened One exists.

The second and third stanzas of the poem connect with the outside promoted or lifted up by a radiance above the Buddha are suns of lights fully and ardently turned about.  The imagery is one of brilliant suns above the Buddha’s head illuminating him while being squeezed forcefully.  Think of wringing out a wet towel only you are looking at a canopy of bright suns being wrung out with the illumination and bright sunlight flowing all around the Buddha, such beauty.

Eternity viewed in the last lines of this prosaic landscape.  What is in the Buddha, the Awakening of Enlightenment so fully and well begun will surpass the suns around him as also all other suns will fade into time while the Buddha stays forever.  The outside world, this existence will not transcend time but the Blessed One will always be.  May the Buddha bless you.