As If He Was Listening
Rainer Maria Rilke's Dialogue with the Buddha
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) left behind three Buddha poems. The poet sometimes worked as a secretary for the great French sculptor August Rodin. In the latter's garden, Rilke discovered a Buddha statue (documented in the picture section) and entered into a dialogue with it. Karl-Josef Kuschel tells the story of this dialogue and answers the question: What was it that interested one of the greatest poets of 20th century European literature in the figure of the Buddha of all things? Rilke's Buddha poems are a bridge across cultural boundaries of understanding – unobtrusive and without any intention of teaching. An exemplary dialogue!
- An exciting testimony on the encounter between Europe and Asia
- A study on literature as a dialogue of cultures
- A special look at the German's favourite poet
