Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku & the Spiritual Journey

Now in paperback from former Zen Buddhist monk Clark Strand, Seeds from a Birch Tree presents haiku as a writing meditation that can awaken us to the fundamental truths of nature and of human life:

Because haiku demands a fresh creative response to each new situation, and because it places images before ideas, haiku is guarded from becoming a religion. Rather, haiku is a spiritual path ...

back from the mountains

a yellow handrail guides me

down the subway stairs

A haiku is a poem arranged in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables, a "sketch of life" that goes to the heart of what it means to be alive. A single moment — the length of a breath — nevertheless its practice can last a lifetime. A beautiful, literary book about writing haiku, written in the simple spirit of haiku, Strand's Seeds from a Birch Tree is divided into three parts: "The Way of Haiku", "The Haiku Mind", and "The Narrow Road". A renowned haiku teacher, Clark Strand teaches readers to compose their own haiku using simple exercises, inspirations, and examples of haiku written by beginners and great masters.

Published in paperback to coincide with Strand's new hardcover, The Wooden Bowl, Seeds from a Birch Tree is a revelatory book from an extraordinary teacher.

"Seeds From a Birch Tree accomplishes many things. It gives a definition and history of haiku, offers lessons on how to read and compose haiku, presents an introduction to Zen Buddhism, and includes a brief autobiography. It succeeds in each endeavor. As a critic, Strand is a sensitive reader who can illustrate why a poem has (or doesn't have) merit. As a writer, his advice is astute and practical. He offers useful specific assignments, and is just as good when making general observations: 'If one wants to use poetry as a spiritual practice, first one has to be a poet; otherwise, it is all a sham.' Using his own experience for reference, Strand shows how learning to write haiku and acquire the 'haiku
mind' offers a way to understand the world. His is a worthy and worthwhile pursuit. This book should sit on readers' shelves next to their copy of Eugen Herrigel's Zen in the Art of Archery. It is cut of the same fine cloth." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)