That said, this isn't a book for casual poetry readers - if that's you, I'd try " One Robe, One Bowl: The Zen Poetry of Ryōkan" translated by John Stevens. Of the five or so Ryokan translations I've read, I like these ones the best and it's got more poems than any other Ryokan book I've come across in English. I also liked how he signed many of his letters: Great historical notes and biographical info as well.
I read a few of his brief poems every morning with coffee, and discovered a new friend. While he doesn't shy away from describing the challenges of poverty and old age, his indomitable spirit gently conquers all. His simplicity and gentle humor make him, perhaps, the most approachable and personable of the old Zen masters. Great historical note It's easy to see why Ryokan is still very popular with the Japanese (apparently you can still readily find collections of his poems at Japan newsstands). It's easy to see why Ryokan is still very popular with the Japanese (apparently you can still readily find collections of his poems at Japan newsstands). To further assist the reader, three introductory essays approach Ryokan from the diverse perspectives of his personal history and literary work.more
Consisting of anecdotes and episodes, sketches from Ryokan's everyday life, the Curious Accounts is invaluable for showing how Ryokan was understood and remembered by his contemporaries. The volume also presents for the first time in English the Ryokan zenji kiwa (Curious Accounts of the Zen Master Ryokan), a firsthand source composed by a former student less than sixteen years after Ryokan's death. It includes not only an extensive collection of the master's kanshi, topically arranged to facilitate an appreciation of Ryokan's colorful world, but selections of his waka, essays, and letters. Great Fool is the first study in a Western language to offer a comprehensive picture of the legendary poet-monk and his oeuvre. Instead of delivering sermons, he expressed himself through kanshi (poems composed in classical Chinese) and waka (poems in Japanese syllabary) and could typically be found playing with the village children in the course of his daily rounds of begging. In contrast to Zen masters of his time who presided over large monasteries, trained students, or produced recondite treatises, Ryokan followed a life of mendicancy in the countryside. Despite his religious and artistic sophistication (he excelled in scriptural studies, in calligraphy, and in poetry), Ryokan referred to himself as "Great Fool, " refusing to place himself within any established religious institution. In contrast to Zen masters of his time who pr Taigu Ryokan (1758-1831) remains one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhist history.
Taigu Ryokan (1758-1831) remains one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhist history.
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