Publications

Taigu Ryōkan (1758-1831) first studied Chinese poetry and Confucianism before turning to the Sōtō School of Zen Buddhism; nevertheless he refused to affiliate with any religious institution. For most of his life, Ryōkan lived as a hermit, self-describing his philosophy of humble existence by calling himself Taigu or “Great Fool,” and supporting himself by begging in the villages, reading and writing poems and calligraphy. In his final decades he settled into a hut on Mount Kugami and composed numerous poems describing the purity of existence without greedy (mushin) such as the one on this screen. Ashihiki no / kugami no yama no/ yama moto ni / iori wo shitsutsu / asa yū ni / iwa no kagemichi / fumiwakete / iyuki kaerahi / yama mireba / yama mo migahoshi / sato mireba / sato mo nigiwashi / haru sareba / tsubaki hana saki / akibe niwa / nobeni tsuma kou/ sao shika no / koe wo tomoshimi / aratamano / toshino toutosewa / sugini kerukamo “Living on the slope of Mount Kugami, every morning and evening I walk up and down the uneven and shady paths, admiring the beautiful mountains and liveliness of the village as well as the blooming camellia in the spring and the autumnal cry of stags longing for their mates. As I reflect on my life, I realize that the past ten years have been spent in this way.” (Translation by Akemi Yoneyama)