River Crossing

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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


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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 .


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. Koan and Haiku 公案と俳句 .


Read more of my Musings about ZEN and Haiku


Read my Haiku Archives


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Day Moon

day moon - the clock has stopped ticking day moon - he looks for satori in the "wrong" direction

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For a friend at the Zen Temple Sogen-Ji (Soogen-Ji 曹源寺) in Okayama.

Morning Dewdrops of the Mind

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satori, Japanese for what is usually translated as "enlightenment in Zen".
I find the word .. enlightenment .. too long here in the haiku, it disturbs the smooth reading for me, so I use the Japanese.


.......................... Comments

I wondered if the quotes add anything, although it's occurring to me that maybe it's a way to point out that "wrong" is sometimes a matter of perception...


Gabi

indeed, "right" and "wrong" ... they should be in quotation marks at any time ! to make us humans stop and remember who made these decisions ... grin ...


Is the sunshine right or wrong ?
Is the moonshine right or wrong ?


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My bits and pieces about
ZEN and HAIKU



More of your ECHOS are here
Nature Echoes Haiku Series
Robert Wilson and Vaughn Seward


cold winter wind
passing through
the day moon

etsuko yanagibori



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day moon --
a passing eagle blocks
my observation

Caxton Okoth, Nairobi


MORE
. Day Moon - Kenya June 2012 .


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Read my Haiku Archives

　

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autumn walk

大垪和や　棚田の夕日　ココにある My Home Ohaga ! sunset in the rice terraces all here

Look at my OHAGA Sunset !

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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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spider sunbeams

aki fukashi　秋深し autumn deepens - my spider still weaves sunbeams

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I have been observing HIM for quite a few weeks now, hanging in mid-air down from the roof. It must be a HIM, withstanding some rather strong gales and the first frost this morning ...



Read my SPIDER Haiku 2007


Spiders ... (kumo, Japan) Spider web, Cob web. Spinne

Autumn deepens (aki fukashi) Japan.
Basho's famous haiku translations



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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autumn clouds

Harbour Tower Harbour Tower - autumn crowds enjoying autumn clouds

© PHOTO : Junichi Kai

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Enjoy some great CLOUD photos !
雲の情景 -Cloudscape Fukuoka- by Junichi Kai


A friend wrote me she was going to enjoy the "Kyoto Crowds" in autumn now. This inspired me to the haiku about CROWDS and CLOUDS, both pronounced the same in Japanese.
Googeling for a photo, I found the beatuful one by Junichi Kai.
The tower is in Hakata Port.



Clouds (kumo) and Haiku


Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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winter shadows

winter shadows - my glass is still half full

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After writing this haiku I checked a bit about Issa and his "lot in life"

My Life, my fate (mi no ue)

Take your time to explore Issa !



Read my SHADOW Haiku from 2007



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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Diary

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dear diary -

I write my haiku

just for YOU



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Haiku wa nikki no bungaku.
NHK Haiku, Yasuda Yoo 安原葉, November 2007

Haiku is the literature of diaries.

Haiku is a diary in literature form.




Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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first frost haiga

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Haiku and arrangement by Billie, Photo by Gabi.


Kiku Makura
Billie Dee



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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counting shadows

clear water of autumn - counting shadows counting fish

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Join me on a slide show of Lake Okutsu .
(36 photos)
Slide Show, take your time to enjoy!



Water clears (mizu sumu) Water in Autumn (aki no mizu)


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Gabi
the first haiku in particular is just wonderful!
I couldn't resist sharing it with my esperantist friends:


aŭtuna lumo klara
nombranta ombrojn
nombranta fiŝojn

tr. Darlington

Hajko en Esperanto

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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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different faces

autumn walk ... each leaf shows a different face

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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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autumn quilt

autumn colors - I remember mother's favorite quilt ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

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. Autumn Leaves (momiji, kooyoo 紅葉)
yellow leaves, colored leaves


Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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chrysanthemum dew

chrysanthemum dew - I sip a bit of long life

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. . . Chrysanthemum Dew and Longevity




Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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deck chair

Sunshine the whole day, but the days are getting shorter. In the early evening a cold wind takes over. We have to be early for our daily valley watch. And sometimes we have this pleasant surprise at the bottom ... autumn evening - the lingering warmth of this old deck chair

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CLICK for Sanyo Shinbun Newspaper Article.

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A friend has commented:

Nice one, Gabi.
Do you need the dash?

Good question, indeed I do.

Coming from a traditional Japanese haiku background, I am used to a kireji, a cut marker, which is visible in Japanese and a cherished ingredient in traditional haiku.
Right now, NHK is featuring a session of 24 lessons within two years about the CUT and the CUT MARKERS!


You might read more about it here
http://haikutopics.blogspot.com/2006/06/kireji.html

I try to keep the three requirements for a traditional Japanese haiku

5-7-5 (make this short long short in English)
one season word (kigo) and
one cut marker.

kire 　切　means CUT
kireji 　切字　means CUT MARKER



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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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moss kigo

山寺の　苔に隠れし　祈り哉 mountain temple - a prayer overgrown with moss

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Comments from friends:

hi gabi
i like the image you portray here, quite serene

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I like the ku and the associations, Gabi. ... 'overgrown' is good and literal in context of your photo, where the 'prayer' is most likely written rather than spoken or thought.

...'overtaken by moss' would be an alternative that would add a humorous note ..but perhaps only to those who share my sense of humour.

My goodness...someone has gone and crocheted a little hot pink beanie for that statue and popped a baby's bib on it, too! What an odd contrast.

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i like this haiku (and the photo) very much!

the haiku tells in a very interesting way about time (the present, the past, about lifetime, about history...)

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Hi, Gabi San, I loved the photo and the haiku -- "a prayer overgrown with moss", no matter how objective here, is also a great metaphor. "Overgrown" is not past tense, but passive (the moss does the action, not the prayer) and there's nothing wrong in using it.

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Gabi, nothing to say about your fine haiku, except "Well done."

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Delightful, Gabi!
I enjoyed the haiku, the photo, the info and the conversation...
an interesting thread!

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Gorgeous haiku, Gabi -
I really like how instructional you are with your haiku. I learn much by reading the links you provide - keep it up! Again, wonderful, visual haiku.

AHA


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MOSS as KIGO



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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Good Morning

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Billie Dee did the arrangements !
Here is my original photo and haiku.

Thank you, Billie !




Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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