River Crossing

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


女一人僧一人雪の渡し哉
onna hitori soo hitori yuki no watashi kana

one woman
one monk - river crossing
in the snow

Naitoo Meisetsu 内藤鳴雪
Tr. Gabi Greve



This reminds me of the Zen story

Monk carrying Woman across the River

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out.
"Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied,
"I set her down on the other side,
while you are still carrying her."

Zen Stories


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


From a discussion about haiku


a friend remarked :

..... the 'form/ technique' are the banks
that allow the river to flow.
The river could be the poem/ the creation/ the spirit.


Gabi wrote

I like the image of a river, that whirls and swirls ...
but in the end, if it looses its "banks",
ends up in the ocean of "short form poetry".



And we exchanged some quotes:



Creativity is the art of taking a fresh look at old knowledge

John E. Arnold





No man ever steps in the same river twice,
for it's not the same river
and he's not the same man.

Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535 – c. 475 BCE)


. Joys of Japan - 2012 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. Koan and Haiku 公案と俳句 .


Read more of my Musings about ZEN and Haiku


Read my Haiku Archives


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::