Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf (eBook)

eBook Download: EPUB

2004 | 1. Auflage
120 Seiten
Shambhala (Verlag)
978-0-8348-2608-3 (ISBN)

Infos

TheJapanese poet-recluse Ryokan (1758–1831) is one of the most belovedfigures of Asian literature, renowned for his beautiful verse, exquisitecalligraphy, and eccentric character. Deceptively simple, Ryokan's poemstranscend artifice, presenting spontaneous expressions of pure Zen spirit. Likehis contemporary Thoreau, Ryokan celebrates nature and the natural life, buthis poems touch the whole range of human experience: joy and sadness, pleasureand pain, enlightenment and illusion, love and loneliness. This collection oftranslations reflects the full spectrum of Ryokan's spiritual and poeticvision, including Japanese haiku, longer folk songs, and Chinese-style verse.Fifteen ink paintings by Koshi no Sengai (1895–1958) complement thesetranslations and beautifully depict the spirit of this famous poet.

Textauszug

Translator'sIntroduction TheZen poet Ryokan was born in 1758 in the remote and snowy province of Echigo,located in northern Honshu, bordering the Sea of Japan. His father was thevillage headman and a haiku poet of some note, and Ryokan received a thorougheducation in the classics of China and Japan. Shy and studious as a boy, Ryokanwas the local Don Juan for a brief period in his youth. Following a spiritualcrisis around the age of twenty, however, he renounced his patrimony andentered a Zen monastery. In1780 Ryokan became the disciple of Kokusen, the top Soto Zen roshiofthe period, and accompanied that master to Entsu-ji in Tamashima. Ryokantrained diligently at that lovely little monastery until Kokusen's death in1791. Even though he had received formal sanction as Kokusen's Dharma heir,Ryokan spurned all invitations to head up his own temple and embarked insteadon a long pilgrimage, wandering all over Japan during the next decade. Inhis early forties, Ryokan drifted back to his native place, and he remainedthere the rest of his days, living quietly in mountain hermitages. He supportedhimself by begging, sharing his food with birds and beasts, and spent his timedoing Zen meditation, gazing at the moon, playing games with the local childrenand geisha, visiting friends, drinking rice wine with farmers, dancing atfestivals, and composing poems brushed in exquisite calligraphy. Afriend wrote this about Ryokan: WhenRyokan visits it is as if spring had come on a dark winter's day. His characteris pure and he is free of duplicity and guile. Ryokan resembles one of theimmortals of ancient literature and religion. He radiates warmth andcompassion. He never gets angry, and will not listen to criticism of others.Mere contact with him brings out the best in people. Oncea relative of Ryokan's asked him to speak to his delinquent son. Ryokan came tovisit the family home but did not say a word of admonition to the boy. Hestayed the night and prepared to leave the following morning. As the waywardboy was helping tie Ryokan's straw sandals, he felt a warm drop of water on hisshoulder. Glancing up, the boy saw Ryokan, with eyes full of tears, lookingdown at him. Ryokan departed silently, but the boy soon mended his ways. Thesamurai lord of the local domain heard of Ryokan's reputation as a worthy Zenmonk and wanted to construct a temple and install Ryokan as abbot. The lordwent to visit the monk at Gogo-an, Ryokan's hermitage on Mount Kugami, but hewas out gathering flowers, and the party waited patiently until Rykanreturned with a bowl full of fragrant blossoms. The lord made his request, butRyokan remained silent, Then he brushed a haiku on a piece of paper and handedit to the lord: Thewind gives me Enoughfallen leaves To make a fire Thelord nodded in acknowledgment and returned to his castle. Once,after the long winter confinement, Ryokan visited the village barber to havehis shaggy head of hair shaved off. The barber cut one side but then demanded aransom to finish the job: a sample of Ryokan's calligraphy. Ryokan brushed thename of a Shinto god, a kind of calligraphy that served as a good-luck charm.Pleased that he had outwitted the monk, the barber had the calligraphy mountedand displayed it in his alcove. Avisitor remarked to the barber one day, 'Youknow,there is a character missing from the god's name.' Suchan omission negates the calligraphy's effect as a talisman, and the barberconfronted Ryokan. Ryokan scolded him good-naturedly for his greed: 'Youshort-changed me, so I short-changed you. That kind old lady down the roadalways...

Produkt-Details

• Übersetzer: John Stevens
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Lyrik / Dramatik ► Lyrik / Gedichte
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Buddhismus
• ISBN-10: 0-8348-2608-9 / 0834826089
• ISBN-13: 978-0-8348-2608-3 / 9780834826083