Is he enlightened or just lazy?
Without a jot of ambition left
I let my nature flow where it will.
There are ten days of rice in my bag
And, by the hearth, a bundle of firewood.
Who prattles of illusion or nirvana?
Forgetting the equal dusts of name and fortune,
Listening to the night rain on the roof of my hut,
I sit at ease, both legs stretched out.
-- Ryokan --
from Zen Poetry
edited and translated by Takashi Ikemoto and Lucien Stryk
What I find most intriguing is that he rejects both the spiritual world (illusion and nirvana) and the material world (name and fortune). Is this the ultimate enlightenment?
Showing posts with label Zen Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zen Poetry. Show all posts
Thursday, February 23, 2017
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