from Sharing, reviews

I have received support for this project from various spiritual beings, including Gangagi and Hogen-San, both teachers of international standing.

Hogen-San is a Japanese Zen Master, and a regular visitor to Byron Bay. The following poems acknowledge Hogen’s role.

Sharing That

The cover design,
’you and I, yours and mine,
everybody’s happy, everything’s fine’,
by Zen Master Hogen,
Abbot of Chogen-ji Temple, Japan.
Teachings dynamic, internationally renowned,
living humility gracefully found.
Vibrant, alive,
from East to West with love and zest,
light and laughter, all in jest,
in glee, to see, and be.
and also courtesy of Hogen-San,
the symbol of the open heart.

John Stuart

I Love You

A visit from Hogen-San.
The phone message was fragmentary, broken,
the voice warmly soft, pure,
hullo, hullo John, I would like to walk,
to see you, I will leave now.
Arriving as arranged,
a small form, glowing warm,
dressed so simply all in white,
his scarf twisting twirling
rounded gentle features.
Moving ever so lightly, entering the room,
chatting, curious about trivialities,
dignifying the everyday with simple eloquence.
Graciously placing a small sheet of paper
on the glass table, speaking with deference,
I have finished a design for you,
for the cover of your book,
then adding, mischievously,
If you don’t like I will try again.

I look to see a childish drawing,
two faces joyously simple.
Perfection.
I speak without speaking,
mumbling meaningless clichés,
turning to see his face,
radiating innocence, compassionate, luminous.
I said, ‘I love you I love you I love you’,
again again and again,
then saying, ‘I love you I love you’,
again and again,
and saying now ‘I love you’,
again and again and again.

from Sharing in That
by John Stuart

Before writing these books I had spent over a year on an intense spiritual pilgrimage.
After attending the Gangagi retreats and satsangs conducted in Australia in early 1999, I stopped and began writing. I sent some poems to Gangagi and received this response.

“Dearest John,

Gangagi ask me to write you and thank you
so deeply for sending her your poems.
She says she likes your poetry very much
and wonders how you would feel about them
being made available on our website?
You can contact either of us to give your
permission for this – if you feel so inclined.

In This Same Great Love,
Jesus”

The following review of In That We Share is from an Osho magazine ...

“Whilst speaking with John I was obvious that this book had taken him on an intense personal journey, through layers and layers, till he touched the core of issues deep within. At first he described it as a birth of expression which is the flavour of this book. The second book now being printed, was a lighter experience than the third book, which he said he has just been ‘released’ from. His passion to write became a very powerful process, at times overwhelming and all-consuming, overtaken by this experience.

John now shares his works with others, and feels he has experienced a freedom that is a new beginning.

The words can touch you, may move you and at times challenge you. Enjoy the depths and richness this collection of poetry has to offer.”

from the Osho Magazine Here & Now, April 2000.

More loving reflections …

“… What I sat down to idly read soon became a profound revelation for me … the realism came through, a golden thread, an undercurrent of questioning and searching and watching and waiting and having life reveal itself to you through what you were seeing and sensing and witnessing, all reflections of “All I am is what you see, what you are and see in me”… where your thought is at any moment. Your poetry grasped me! I LOVED IT!”

from Christine Coles
A Course in Miracles student
Byron Bay

“… I was so pleased with the “Diary Sequence” (from Sharing in That) I went back to read the first part of the book and continued to the end for a second time. You have a lovely writing style, and I found myself frequently in empathy with the emotional content of your work…”

from David Hicks
Melbourne Zen Group