Rainer Maria Rilke

Buddha in Glory

time existence ode serene

Center of all centers, core of cores, almond self-enclosed, and growing sweet-- all this universe, to the furthest stars all beyond them, is your flesh, your fruit. Now you feel how nothing clings to you; your vast shell reaches into endless space, and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow. Illuminated in your infinite peace, a billion stars go spinning through the night, blazing high above your head. But in you is the presence that will be, when all the stars are dead.

Buddha in Glory - meaning Summary

Unity and Timeless Presence

Rilke's "Buddha in Glory" presents a concentrated inner being imagined as an "almond self-enclosed" center that nevertheless encompasses the cosmos. The poem contrasts intimate enclosure with vast reach: the self is free of attachments, contains life's fluids and light, and witnesses spinning stars. It affirms a timeless, enduring presence—an inner awareness that persists even after the death of the stars.

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