Ryōkan
Then we can speak of poetry.
Ryōkan (1758–1831) was an eccentric Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived in Echigo, Japan, as a hermit, most famous for his poetry and calligraphy.
Careless Serenity
Whence has this life of mine arrived at its present abode and after its departure whereto is it destined to vanish
Seated below the sagebrush window of my cottage by myself, I meditated on these questions, mute in the dead of night
I searched my heart many times but the answers failed me
Neither the wherefrom nor the whereto of my life I know
Equally unknown to me is my life's existence here and now
For all the world is in a nimble flux and void therefore
I am suspended midair in the vacuity but for a twinkling
How am I supposed to know the subtlety of right and wrong
I must perforce receive what descends on me as my destiny, and live accordingly, while I may, with careless serenity
Quotes
[edit]
nothing is better, nothing worse;
The flowering branches are
of themselves, some short, some long.
We doze
And talk of dreams —
Dream, dream on,
As much as you wish
- In the scenery of spring,
nothing is better, nothing worse;
The flowering branches are
of themselves, some short, some long.- As translated in Haiku : Spring (1950) by Reginald Horace Blyth
- In this dream world
We doze
And talk of dreams —
Dream, dream on,
As much as you wish- As translated in Lust for Enlightenment : Buddhism and Sex (1990) by John Stevens, p. 28
- You must rise above
The gloomy clouds
Covering the mountaintop
Otherwise, how will you
Ever see the brightness?- As translated in Lust for Enlightenment : Buddhism and Sex (1990) by John Stevens, p. 117
- The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.- Written after a thief robbed his hut, as translated in The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry (1993) by Stephen Mitchell, p. 162
- Late at night, listening to the winter rain
Recalling my youth —
Was it only a dream? Was I really young once?- As quoted in One Robe, One Bowl : The Zen Poetry of Ryōkan (2006) edited by John Stevens, p. 71
- Cling to truth and it turns into falsehood. Understand falsehood and it turns into truth. Truth and falsehood are two sides of the same coin. Neither accept one nor reject the other.
- As translated in 1,001 Pearls of Wisdom (2006) by David Ross, p. 36
- Easily moved by beauty—such is my nature.
I take a few phrases
and they just turn into poems- As translated in Great Fool: Zen Master Ryōkan; Poems, Letters, and Other Writings (1996) by Ryūichi Abé and Peter Haskel, p. 117
Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf : Zen Poems of Ryokan (1993)
[edit]- As translated by John Stevens
Never shouts at the tainted world: “Purify yourself!”
But naturally, as it is,
Shows how it is done.
If you want to find the meaning,
Stop chasing after so many things.
- Who says my poems are poems?
My poems are not poems.
When you know that my poems are not poems,
Then we can speak of poetry.- Variant translation:
Who says my poems are poems?
My poems are not poems.
After you know my poems are not poems,
Then we can begin to discuss poetry!
- Variant translation:
- It's a pity, a gentleman in refined retirement composing poetry:
He models his work on the classic verse of China.
And his poems are elegant, full of fine phrases.
But if you don't write of things deep in your own heart,
What's the use of churning out so many words?- Variant translation:
With gaudy words their lines are formed
And further adorned by novel and curious phrases.
Yet if they fail to express what is in their own minds
What is the use, no matter
How many poems they compose!- "Zen Poetics of Ryokan" in Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry (Summer 2006)
- Variant translation:
- The winds gives me
Enough fallen leaves
To make a fire
- This world
A fading
Mountain echo
Void and
Unreal
Zen Poetics of Ryokan (2006)
[edit]- "Zen Poetics of Ryokan" in Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry (Summer 2006)
- When you encounter those who are wicked, unrighteous, foolish, dim-witted, deformed, vicious, chronically ill, lonely, unfortunate, or disabled, you should think: “How can I save them?” And even if there is nothing you can do, at least you must not indulge in feelings of arrogance, superiority, derision, scorn, or abhorrence, but should immediately manifest sympathy and compassion. If you fail to do so, you should feel ashamed and deeply reproach yourself: “How far I have strayed from the Way! How can I betray the old sages? I take these words as an admonition to myself.”
- The water of the valley stream
Never shouts at the tainted world: “Purify yourself!”
But naturally, as it is,
Shows how it is done.
- I have nothing to report, my friends.
If you want to find the meaning,
Stop chasing after so many things.
- Why do you so earnestly seek the truth in distant places?
Look for delusion and truth in the bottom of your own hearts.
- The village has disappeared in the evening mist
And the path is hard to follow.
Walking through the pines,
I return to my lonely hut.
- The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away, and the weather is clear again.
If your heart is pure, then all things in your world are pure.
Abandon this fleeting world, abandon yourself,
Then the moon and flowers will guide you along the Way.
