The Path

The Path offers a beautifully poetic vision of an unorthodox spiritual journey spanning nearly a decade and a half. The author, Silent Temple, is neoZen in his orientation but also subtly existential and unbounded in his sensibilities. The book is beautifully illustrated by the author, as well. A must read by Western and Eastern audiences for its insights, depth of vision, and artistic mastery.
The author’s journey began in 1997. It was then that he literally jumped into the proverbial spiritual Abyss, beginning a rigorous meditative and contemplative practice, leaving his work as a scientist behind while trusting his fate to the universe. About five years later, a Bodhisattva, Sr. Eveleen Forkin of the Marist Sisters, financed an art studio and meditation hall for Silent Temple to build, providing affirmation he had never known and setting into motion a unique spiritual and creative path out of which developed a form of neoZen, also called Silent Temple. However, in 2007 he stopped painting, having reached that barrier that so many unrecognized artists do, but continued on his spiritual journey, leading meditations, giving spiritual talks, further developing Silent Temple, and progressively entering into a life of vowed poverty and service to others. During 2009 and 2010 he lived in Vihti, Finland (Suomi) where he carried on his meditative life and continued writing poetry and neoZen talks, thanks to Tarja Stegars of Finland, a gifted plastic surgeon and painter. He also began painting again. Poems and paintings related to his stay in Finland are found in the section of The Path titled Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi.
The Path is divided into three sections. The first section, The Stream of Awareness, consists of poems indicative of Silent Temple’s spiritual experiences and progressions over a period 15 years. All poems in the first section are presented in chronological order but are not dated. The second section, Selected Poetry from Poems and Nonpoems for Tarja: Songs of Suomi, marks a period of intense solitude in the Finnish countryside. This section is divided into the four seasons in honor of the traditional oriental format for nature poetry. The third section, Miscellaneous, exists merely as a demarcation between the author’s stay in Finland and his present state of being shortly after leaving Finland, having been separated from a Europe of his belonging and love.
Silent Temple’s life has been, is, and shall be to the core spiritual. Being dichotomously both free spirit and secular monk, he is nevertheless always inclined towards and relating from the Heart. Witnessing this miracle, it is known as wind, rain, snow, cloud, sun, and dandelions for Silent Temple. All that is ordinary being creation’s first and last breath.
For a rare artistic read with creative reference frames arising from the author’s intuitive depths, a more profound book cannot be obtained.