Ryokan
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This article is about the Zen monk. For the Japanese type of inn, see Ryokan inn.
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Ryokan (良寛: Ryōkan) was a Zen Buddhist monk who lived in Niigata Japan 1758-1831. He soon left the monastery where practice was frequently quite lax, and lived as a hermit until he was very old and had to move into the house of one of his supporters.
Ryokan was famous for his poetry and calligraphy. His poetry is often very simple and inspired by nature. He was a lover of children, and sometimes forgot to go on his alms round to get food because he was playing with the children of the nearby village. Ryokan refused to accept any position as a priest or even as a "poet". This shows his great humility. In the tradition of Zen his quotes and poems show he had a good sense of humour and didn't take himself too seriously. However his poetry also gives illumining insights into the practise of Zen.
Ryokan lived a very simple, pure life and stories about his kindness and generosity abound.
On his deathbed, Ryokan offered the following poem:
ura wo mise
omote wo mise
chiru momiji
showing their backs
then their fronts
the autumn leaves scatter in the wind
External links
- Ryokan's poetry (http://www.tamucc.edu/~sencerz/ryokan.htm)
- Ryokan as hermit (http://www.hermitary.com/articles/ryokan.html)
- Calligraphy (http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Written_Image/54.r.htm)
- Poems by Ryokan (http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/buddhist/ryokan/)ja:良寛
Further Reading
- Three Zen Masters: Ikkyu, Hakuin, Ryokan (Kodansha Biographies) (ISBN 4770016514), 1993, by John Stevens.
- The Zen Fool: Ryokan (ISBN 0804821283), 2000, by Misao Kodama and Hikosaku Yanagashima.
- Great Fool: Zen Master Ryokan: Poems, Letters, and Other Writings (ISBN 082481777X), 1996, by Ryuichi Abe (with Peter Haskel).