Taigu Ryokan

1:The thief left it behind: the moon at my window." ~ Taigu Ryokan,

2:Then I finally understood the unspoken meaning. ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

3:Last year, a foolish monk; This year, no change! ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

4:The thief left it behind; the moon at my window. ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

5:Last year, a foolish monk;
This year, no change!
~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

6:The wind gives me Enough fallen leaves To make a fire. ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

7:The wind gives me enough fallen leaves to make a fire. ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

8:Ah, the nightingale!!
There were many people there
But not one of them heard it. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

9:See and realize that this world is not permanent. Neither late nor early flowers will remain." ~ Taigu Ryokan,

10:The plants and flowers
I raised about my hut
I now surrender
To the will
Of the wind ~ Taigu Ryokan,

11:Like a drifting cloud Bound by nothing; I just let go Giving myself up To the whim of the wind. ~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

12:this world
a fading
mountain echo
~ Taigu Ryokan, @BashoSociety

13:Why do you so earnestly seek the truth in distant places? Look for delusion and truth in the bottom of your own heart." ~ Taigu Ryokan,

14:you must rise
above the clouds
to see the sun
~ Taigu Ryokan, @BashoSociety

15:if your heart is pure
then all things
are pure
~ Taigu Ryokan, @BashoSociety

16:If we attain something
it was there from the beginning of time.
If we lose something
it is hiding somewhere near us.
~ Taigu Ryokan,

17:Keep your heart clear and transparent, and you will never be bound. A single disturbed thought creates ten thousand distractions." ~ Taigu Ryokan,

18:Dreams :::

in this dream world
we doze
and talk of dreams --
dream, dream on,
as much as you wish
~ Taigu Ryokan,

19:Teishin :::
"When, when?" I sighed.
The one I longed for
Has finally come;
With her now,
I have all that I need. ~ Taigu Ryokan, [T5],

20:The Three Thousand Worlds
that step forward
with the light snow,
and the light snow that falls
in those Three Thousand Worlds ~ Taigu Ryokan,

21: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! ~ Taigu Ryokan,

22:Like The Little Stream ::: Like the little stream
Making its way
Through the mossy crevices
I, too, quietly
Turn clear and transparent. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

23:Have You Forgotten Me:::

have you forgotten me
or lost the path here?
i wait for you
all day, every day
but you do not appear.
~ Taigu Ryokan,

24:With no mind, flowers lure the butterfly; With no mind, the butterfly visits the blossoms. Yet when flowers bloom, the butterfly comes; When the butterfly comes, the flowers bloom.
~ Taigu Ryokan, Translated by Larry Smith,

25:The Way Of The Holy Fool ::: At the crossroads this year, after
begging all day
I lingered at the village temple.
Children gather round me and
whisper,
"The crazy monk has come back
to play."
~ Taigu Ryokan,

26:Why do you so earnestly seek the truth in distant places? Look for delusions and truth in the bottom of your own hearts." ~ Taigu Ryokan, (1758-1831) eccentric Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk, remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, Wikipedia.,

27:220. Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Now as before, bear it high,
Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Bear it high, and go begging,
All day and each day. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

28:170. A magnificent temple towers to heaven by the Eternal Bridge.
Priests rival in its halls the sermons of rocks and streams.
I, for one, would gladly sacrifice my brows for my brethren,
But I fear I might aggravate the war, already rank as weeds. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

29:Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itself. Ten days' worth of rice in my bag; a bundle of twigs by the fireplace. Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment? Listening to the night rain on my roof, I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out." ~ Taigu Ryokan,

30:An improvisation :::
For hours, since I sat facing you, you have stayed mute.
Your meaning, ampler than words, addresses itself to me.
Cases removed, books lie open, scattered by the bedside.
Beyond the bamboo screen, a shower falls on a plum tree. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

31:DAWN
I have returned to my native village after twenty years;
No sign of old friends or relatives-they have all died or gone away.
My dreams are shattered by the sound of the temple bell struck at sunrise.
An empty floor, no shadows; the light has long been extinguished. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

32:In The Morning :::
In the morning, bowing to all;
In the evening, bowing to all.
Respecting others is my only duty--
Hail to the Never-despising Bodhisattva.

In heaven and earth he stands alone.

A real monk
Needs
Only one thing--
a heart like
Never-despising Buddha. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

33:IN THE entire ten quarters of the Buddha land
There is only one vehicle.
When we see clearly, there is no difference in all the teachings.
What is there to lose? What is there to gain?
If we gain something, it was there from the beginning.
If we lose anything, it is hidden nearby.
Look at the ball in the sleeve of my robe.
Surely it has great value.
[ The first sentence of this poem quotes a famous line from the Lotus Sutra.] ~ Taigu Ryokan,

34:Reply To A Friend ::: In stubborn stupidity, I live on alone
befriended by trees and herbs.
Too lazy to learn right from wrong,
I laugh at myself, ignoring others.
Lifting my bony shanks, I cross the stream,
a sack in my hand, blessed by spring weather.
Living thus, I want for nothing,
at peace with all the world.

Your finger points to the moon,
but the finger is blind until the moon appears.
What connection has moon and finger?
Are they separate objects or bound?
This is a question for beginners
wrapped in seas of ignorance.
Yet one who looks beyond metaphor
knows there is no finger; there is no moon. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

* WISDOM TROVE *

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1:Last year, a foolish monk;
This year, no change!
~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

2:Ah, the nightingale!!
There were many people there
But not one of them heard it. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

3:The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Thief Left It Behind
,

4:To kindle a fire,
the autumn winds have piled
a few dead leaves.
~ Taigu Ryokan, To Kindle A Fire
,

5:Stretched out,
Tipsy,
Under the vast sky:
Splendid dreams
Beneath the cherry blossoms.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Stretched Out
,

6:The plants and flowers
I raised about my hut
I now surrender
To the will
Of the wind

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Plants And Flowers
,

7:When all thoughts
Are exhausted
I slip into the woods
And gather
A pile of shepherds purse.

~ Taigu Ryokan, When All Thoughts
,

8:Dreams :::

in this dream world
we doze
and talk of dreams --
dream, dream on,
as much as you wish
~ Taigu Ryokan,

9:If we attain something
it was there from the beginning of time.
If we lose something
it is hiding somewhere near us.
~ Taigu Ryokan, 1758-1831,

10:Teishin :::
"When, when?" I sighed.
The one I longed for
Has finally come;
With her now,
I have all that I need. ~ Taigu Ryokan, [T5],

11:in this dream world
we doze
and talk of dreams --
dream, dream on,
as much as you wish

~ Taigu Ryokan, Dreams
,

12:Wild roses,
Plucked from fields
Full of croaking frogs:
Float them in your wine
And enjoy every minute!

~ Taigu Ryokan, Wild Roses
,

13:The Three Thousand Worlds
that step forward
with the light snow,
and the light snow that falls
in those Three Thousand Worlds ~ Taigu Ryokan,

14: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! ~ Taigu Ryokan,

15:My legacy --
What will it be?
Flowers in spring,
The cuckoo in summer,
And the crimson maples
Of autumn...

~ Taigu Ryokan, My legacy
,

16:How can I possibly sleep
This moonlit evening?
Come, my friends,
Lets sing and dance
All night long.

~ Taigu Ryokan, How Can I Possibly Sleep
,

17:Down in the village
the din of
flute and drum,
here deep in the mountain
everywhere the sound of the pines.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Down In The Village
,

18:Like The Little Stream ::: Like the little stream
Making its way
Through the mossy crevices
I, too, quietly
Turn clear and transparent. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

19:Like the little stream
Making its way
Through the mossy crevices
I, too, quietly
Turn clear and transparent.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Like The Little Stream
,

20:Have You Forgotten Me:::

have you forgotten me
or lost the path here?
i wait for you
all day, every day
but you do not appear.
~ Taigu Ryokan,

21:The wind has settled, the blossoms have fallen;
Birds sing, the mountains grow dark --
This is the wondrous power of Buddhism.

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Wind Has Settled
,

22:you must rise above
the gloomy clouds
covering the mountaintop
otherwise, how will you
ever see the brightness?

~ Taigu Ryokan, Rise Above
,

23:Deep in the valley, a beauty hides:
Serene, peerless, incomparably sweet.
In the still shade of the bamboo thicket
It seems to sigh softly for a lover.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Orchid
,

24:The Three Thousand Worlds
that step forward
with the light snow,
and the light snow that falls
in those Three Thousand Worlds

~ Taigu Ryokan, Three Thousand Worlds
,

25:When, when? I sighed.
The one I longed for
Has finally come;
With her now,
I have all that I need.

(Written to the nun Teishin, his young mistress.)
~ Taigu Ryokan, Teishin
,

26:at dusk
i often climb
to the peak of kugami.
deer bellow,
their voices
soaked up by
piles of maple leaves
lying undisturbed at
the foot of the mountain.

~ Taigu Ryokan, At Dusk
,

27:The winds have died, but flowers go on falling;
birds call, but silence penetrates each song.

The Mystery! Unknowable, unlearnable.
The virtue of Kannon.

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Winds Have Died
,

28:When spring arrives
From every tree tip
Flowers will bloom,
But those children
Who fell with last autumns leaves
Will never return.

~ Taigu Ryokan, For Children Killed In A Smallpox Epidemic
,

29:With no mind, flowers lure the butterfly; With no mind, the butterfly visits the blossoms. Yet when flowers bloom, the butterfly comes; When the butterfly comes, the flowers bloom.
~ Taigu Ryokan, Translated by Larry Smith,

30: today's begging is finished; at the crossroads
i wander by the side of hachiman shrine
talking with some children.
last year, a foolish monk;
this year, no change!

~ Taigu Ryokan, Begging
,

31:With no mind, flowers lure the
butterfly;
With no mind, the butterfly visits
the blossoms.
Yet when flowers bloom, the butterfly
comes;
When the butterfly comes, the
flowers bloom.

~ Taigu Ryokan, No Mind
,

32:The Way Of The Holy Fool ::: At the crossroads this year, after
begging all day
I lingered at the village temple.
Children gather round me and
whisper,
"The crazy monk has come back
to play."
~ Taigu Ryokan,

33:Translated by John Stevens
Have You Forgotten Me
have you forgotten me
or lost the path here?
i wait for you
all day, every day
but you do not appear.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Have You Forgotten Me
,

34:220. Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Now as before, bear it high,
Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Broken begging bowl,
My old begging bowl,
Bear it high, and go begging,
All day and each day. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

35:The Way Of The Holy Fool
At the crossroads this year, after
begging all day
I lingered at the village temple.
Children gather round me and
whisper,
"The crazy monk has come back
to play."

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Way Of The Holy Fool
,

36:170. A magnificent temple towers to heaven by the Eternal Bridge.
Priests rival in its halls the sermons of rocks and streams.
I, for one, would gladly sacrifice my brows for my brethren,
But I fear I might aggravate the war, already rank as weeds. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

37:Midsummer --
I walk about with my staff.
Old farmers spot me
And call me over for a drink.
We sit in the fields
using leaves for plates.
Pleasantly drunk and so happy
I drift off peacefully
Sprawled out on a paddy bank.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Midsummer
,

38:An improvisation :::
For hours, since I sat facing you, you have stayed mute.
Your meaning, ampler than words, addresses itself to me.
Cases removed, books lie open, scattered by the bedside.
Beyond the bamboo screen, a shower falls on a plum tree. ~ Taigu Ryokan, #index,

39:This World
This world
A fading
Mountain echo
Void and
Unreal

Within
A light snow
Three Thousand Realms
Within those realms
Light snow falls

As the snow
Engulfs my hut
At dusk
My heart, too
Is completely consumed

~ Taigu Ryokan, This World
,

40:DAWN
I have returned to my native village after twenty years;
No sign of old friends or relatives-they have all died or gone away.
My dreams are shattered by the sound of the temple bell struck at sunrise.
An empty floor, no shadows; the light has long been extinguished. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

41:Blending with the wind,
Snow falls;
Blending with the snow,
The wind blows.
By the hearth
I stretch out my legs,
Idling my time away
Confined in this hut.
Counting the days,
I find that February, too,
Has come and gone
Like a dream.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Blending With The Wind
,

42:This treasure was discovered in a bamboo thicket --
I washed the bowl in a spring and then mended it.
After morning meditation, I take my gruel in it;
At night, it serves me soup or rice.
Cracked, worn, weather-beaten, and misshapen
But still of noble stock!

~ Taigu Ryokan, My Cracked Wooden Bowl
,

43:In the morning, bowing to all;
In the evening, bowing to all.
Respecting others is my only duty--
Hail to the Never-despising Bodhisattva.

In heaven and earth he stands alone.

A real monk
Needs
Only one thing--
a heart like
Never-despising Buddha.

~ Taigu Ryokan, In The Morning
,

44:In The Morning :::
In the morning, bowing to all;
In the evening, bowing to all.
Respecting others is my only duty--
Hail to the Never-despising Bodhisattva.

In heaven and earth he stands alone.

A real monk
Needs
Only one thing--
a heart like
Never-despising Buddha. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

45:Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Too Lazy To Be Ambitious
,

46:Yes, Im truly a dunce
Living among trees and plants.
Please dont question me about illusion and enlightenment --
This old fellow just likes to smile to himself.
I wade across streams with bony legs,
And carry a bag about in fine spring weather.
Thats my life,
And the world owes me nothing.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Yes, Im Truly A Dunce
,

47:Returning to my native village after many years absence:
I put up at a country inn and listen to the rain.
One robe, one bowl is all I have.
I light incense and strain to sit in meditation;
All night a steady drizzle outside the dark window --
Inside, poignant memories of these long years of pilgrimage.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Returning To My Native Village
,

48:Though frost come down,
Night after night
What does it matter?
They melt in the morning sun.
Though the snow falls
Each passing year,
What does it matter?
With spring days it thaws.
Yet once let them settle
On a mans head,
Fall and pile up-
Then the New Year
May come and go,
But never youll see them fade away.

~ Taigu Ryokan, White Hair
,

49:First blooming in the Western Paradise,
The lotus has delighted us for ages.
Its white petals are covered with dew,
its jade green leaves spread out over the pond,
And its pure fragrance perfumes the wind.
Cool and majestic, it raises from the murky water.
The sun sets behind the mountains
But I remain in the darkness, too captivated to leave.

~ Taigu Ryokan, The Lotus
,

50:No luck today on my mendicant rounds;
From village to village I dragged myself.
At sunset I find myself with miles of mountains
between me and my hut.
The wind tears at my frail body,
And my little bowl looks so forlorn --
Yes this is my chosen path that guides me
Through disappointment and pain, cold and hunger.

~ Taigu Ryokan, No Luck Today On My Mendicant Rounds
,

51:When I was a lad,
I sauntered about town as a gay blade,
Sporting a cloak of the softest down,
And mounted on a splendid chestnut-coloured horse.
During the day, I galloped to the city;
At night, I got drunk on peach blossoms by the river.
I never cared about returning home,
Usually ending up, with a big smile on my face,
at a pleasure pavilion!

~ Taigu Ryokan, When I Was A Lad
,

52:You stop to point at the moon in the sky,
but the finger's blind unless the moon is shining.

One moon, one careless finger pointing --
are these two things or one?

The question is a pointer guiding
a novice from ignorance thick as fog.

Look deeper. The mystery calls and calls:
No moon, no finger -- nothing there at all.

~ Taigu Ryokan, You Stop To Point At The Moon In The Sky
,

53:In a dilapidated three-room hut
Ive grown old and tired;
This winter cold is the
Worst Ive ever suffered through.
I sip thin gruel, waiting for the
Freezing night to pass.
Can I last until spring finally arrives?
Unable to beg for rice,
How will I survive the chill?
Even meditation helps no longer;
Nothing left to do but compose poems
In memory of deceased friends.

~ Taigu Ryokan, In A Dilapidated Three-Room Hut
,

54:IN THE entire ten quarters of the Buddha land
There is only one vehicle.
When we see clearly, there is no difference in all the teachings.
What is there to lose? What is there to gain?
If we gain something, it was there from the beginning.
If we lose anything, it is hidden nearby.
Look at the ball in the sleeve of my robe.
Surely it has great value.
[ The first sentence of this poem quotes a famous line from the Lotus Sutra.] ~ Taigu Ryokan,

55:Though frosts come down
night after night,
what does it matter?
they melt in the morning sun.
Though the snow falls
each passing year,
what does it matter?
with spring days it thaws.
Yet once let them settle
on a mans head,
fall and pile up,
go on piling up
then the new year
may come and go,
but never youll see them fade away
Ryokan

translated by Burton Watson
From the book Ryokan: Zen Monk-Poet of Japan.
~ Taigu Ryokan, Though Frosts come down
,

56:My house is buried in the deepest recess of the forest
Every year, ivy vines grow longer than the year before.
Undisturbed by the affairs of the world I live at ease,
Woodmens singing rarely reaching me through the trees.
While the sun stays in the sky, I mend my torn clothes
And facing the moon, I read holy texts aloud to myself.
Let me drop a word of advice for believers of my faith.
To enjoy lifes immensity, you do not need many things.

~ Taigu Ryokan, You Do Not Need Many Things
,

57:Slopes
of Mount Kugami
in the mountain's shade
a hut beneath the trees
how many years
it's been my home?
The time comes
to take leave of it
my thoughts wilt
like summer grasses,
I wander back and forth
like the evening star
till that hut of mine
is hidden from sight,
till that grove of trees
can no longer be seen,
at each bend
of the long road,
at every turning,
I turn to look back
in the direction of that mountain.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Slopes Of Mount Kugami
,

58:In my youth I put aside my studies
And I aspired to be a saint.
Living austerely as a mendicant monk,
I wandered here and there for many springs.
Finally I returned home to settle under a craggy peak.
I live peacefully in a grass hut,
Listening to the birds for music.
Clouds are my best neighbors.
Below a pure spring where I refresh body and mind;
Above, towering pines and oaks that provide shade and brushwood.
Free, so free, day after day --
I never want to leave!

~ Taigu Ryokan, In My Youth I Put Aside My Studies
,

59:In stubborn stupidity, I live on alone
befriended by trees and herbs.
Too lazy to learn right from wrong,
I laugh at myself, ignoring others.
Lifting my bony shanks, I cross the stream,
a sack in my hand, blessed by spring weather.
Living thus, I want for nothing,
at peace with all the world.

Your finger points to the moon,
but the finger is blind until the moon appears.
What connection has moon and finger?
Are they separate objects or bound?
This is a question for beginners
wrapped in seas of ignorance.
Yet one who looks beyond metaphor
knows there is no finger; there is no moon.

~ Taigu Ryokan, Reply To A Friend
,

60:Reply To A Friend ::: In stubborn stupidity, I live on alone
befriended by trees and herbs.
Too lazy to learn right from wrong,
I laugh at myself, ignoring others.
Lifting my bony shanks, I cross the stream,
a sack in my hand, blessed by spring weather.
Living thus, I want for nothing,
at peace with all the world.

Your finger points to the moon,
but the finger is blind until the moon appears.
What connection has moon and finger?
Are they separate objects or bound?
This is a question for beginners
wrapped in seas of ignorance.
Yet one who looks beyond metaphor
knows there is no finger; there is no moon. ~ Taigu Ryokan,

61:I watch people in the world
Throw away their lives lusting after things,
Never able to satisfy their desires,
Falling into deeper despair
And torturing themselves.
Even if they get what they want
How long will they be able to enjoy it?
For one heavenly pleasure
They suffer ten torments of hell,
Binding themselves more firmly to the grindstone.
Such people are like monkeys
Frantically grasping for the moon in the water
And then falling into a whirlpool.
How endlessly those caught up in the floating world suffer.
Despite myself, I fret over them all night
And cannot staunch my flow of tears.

~ Taigu Ryokan, I Watch People In The World
,

62:Translated by John Stevens
To My Teacher
An old grave hidden away at the foot of a deserted hill,
Overrun with rank weeds growing unchecked year after year;
There is no one left to tend the tomb,
And only an occasional woodcutter passes by.
Once I was his pupil, a youth with shaggy hair,
Learning deeply from him by the Narrow River.
One morning I set off on my solitary journey
And the years passed between us in silence.
Now I have returned to find him at rest here;
How can I honor his departed spirit?
I pour a dipper of pure water over his tombstone
And offer a silent prayer.
The sun suddenly disappears behind the hill
And Im enveloped by the roar of the wind in the pines.
I try to pull myself away but cannot;
A flood of tears soaks my sleeves.

~ Taigu Ryokan, To My Teacher
,

63:First days of Spring-the sky
is bright blue, the sun huge and warm.
Everything's turning green.
Carrying my monk's bowl, I walk to the village
to beg for my daily meal.
The children spot me at the temple gate
and happily crowd around,
dragging to my arms till I stop.
I put my bowl on a white rock,
hang my bag on a branch.
First we braid grasses and play tug-of-war,
then we take turns singing and keeping a kick-ball in the air:
I kick the ball and they sing, they kick and I sing.
Time is forgotten, the hours fly.
People passing by point at me and laugh:
"Why are you acting like such a fool?"
I nod my head and don't answer.
I could say something, but why?
Do you want to know what's in my heart?
From the beginning of time: just this! just this!

~ Taigu Ryokan, First Days Of Spring - The sky
,

64:Two miles from town, I meet an old woodcutter
and we travel the road lined with huge pines.
The smell of wild plum blossoms
drifts across the valley.
My walking stick has brought us home.
In the ancient pond huge, contented fish.
Long sunbeams penetrate the deep woods.
And in the house a long bed
all covered with poetry books.
I loosen my belt and robes,
copy phrase after phrase for my poems.
At twilight, I walk to the east wing
spring quail startle into the air.

Tramping for miles I come upon a farm house
as the great ball of sun sets in the forest.
Sparrows gather near a bamboo thicket,
flutter about in the closing dark.
From across a field comes a farmer
who calls a greeting from afar.
He tells his wife to strain their cloudy wine
and treats me to his garden's feast.
Sitting across table we drink each other's health
our talk rising to the heavens.
Both of us are so tipsy and happy
we forget the rules of this world.

Too confused to ever earn a living
I've learned to let things have their way.
With only three handfuls of rice in my bag
and a few branches by my fireside
I pursue neither right or wrong
and forget worldly fortune and fame.
This damp night under a grassy roof
I stretch out my legs without regrets.

~ Taigu Ryokan, At Master Do's Country House
,

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