June 01, 2025

Shakespeare Dharma - Matthew Perifano

1 hour

How do the works of Shakespeare echo the teachings of the Buddha?

In this heartfelt talk, Matthew Perifano reflects on the transformative power of language as he intertwines his lifelong love of Shakespeare with his journey through Buddhism and the AIDS epidemic. He begins by framing the dharma as more than just teachings—truth, practice, and a deep refuge—and connects it to the power of Shakespearean language. Matthew highlights how Shakespeare can evoke profound emotional resonance, citing authors and works like Shakespeare Meets the Buddha and The Buddha and the Bard that mirror Eastern thought. He recounts how one particular quote from Cymbeline has echoed through his life: “All other doubts by time, let them be cleared. Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.” This quote, and others, become spiritual companions, much like Buddhist texts.

He shares personal stories from his past, including his deep involvement with a Shakespeare reading group and its eventual disbanding. Through grief and loss during the AIDS crisis, Matthew found solace in Shakespeare's sonnets, many of which mirrored his emotional landscape. This culminated in the creation of a musical project—A Shakespeare Garden—telling a poignant love story between two young men in 1980s San Francisco, solely through Shakespeare’s words. Matthew sees blank verse as a heartbeat, a meditative rhythm that aligns with Buddhist practice. He closes by reciting stirring lines from The Tempest, capturing impermanence and the dreamlike nature of life, resonating with the first noble truth and the dharma's essence.

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Matthew Perifano (he/him) is a member of the Gay Buddhist Fellowship. He is grateful to be given this opportunity to share his love of Shakespeare and the Dharma with GBF. Shakespeare Dharma recounts his rich and strange journey with Shakespeare that began with a reading group that approached Shakespeare as mind/body practice rather than as theater. Eventually, this reading group would form Birnam Wood Musical Shakespeare Co. and Matthew would discover his facility for setting Shakespeare’s verse to music.

As Matthew became more knowledgeable about Buddhist Dharma, he discovered connections between Buddhist teachings and the truth about human nature and human existence to be found in the plays and sonnets of Shakespeare. Certain passages have become like sutras to him which he is happy to share with you. Ultimately, on a most profound level, Shakespeare became a refuge of solace and healing during the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic.

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