Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom
Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Hsu Yun (1840-1959)

On Novices being robed for the first time.

The Buddha grieves that we must face such hardship.
He's so lovingly concerned for people like us.

Don't let pretty flowers dazzle your young eyes.
An empty room can't get dusty
And even the lucky favorite is pursued by death.

So don't be too arrogant or impatient,
Take your time and let us show you
How to wrap and tie a monk's robes.

In the beginning, there was no model to follow.
Who knew what needed to be done?
Look! One false move and your tangled up again.
Yes, take your time and let us show you
How to wrap and tie an old monk's robes.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Shih Ching (Book Of Odes 601 BC)

Shih Ching 17

Might I have walked the dewy paths with thee,
just before the dawning of the say?
Say it was a drenching dew indeed…

Who would say the bird has no beak,
when it has bored its way into my chamber.
Who would say your clan’s not powerful,
that has brought me before this judge?
But though you have dragged me before this judge,

I swear that you shall not marry me!
Who would say that rat has no teeth,
when clearly hath it breached my wall.

Who would say your clan’s not powerful,
that has brought me before this judge?
But though you have dragged me before this judge,
I swear I shall never follow you!?

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Jia Dao (779-843)

Written On The Dwelling Of A Recluse



Even though you have a brushwood door,
it hasn't been shut for a long time;
A few clouds, a few trees
have been your only companions.
Still, I suspect if you stay longer,
people will learn of this spot;
We'll see you moving
higher on the mountain.
Brushed on a Hermit's Hut
Although you brushwood door is hardly ever shut,
And a slice of clouds one solitary tree
help you idle away your time.
Yet I suspect if you stay here longer people will find you,
Then you'll move even deeper in the mountains!
 
Jia Dao :

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Ho Xuan Huong (1772-1822)

The Temple Of Fragrance



Who could have fashioned this marvel?
The mountain cracks into a wide, hollow cave.
Pious Buddhists struggle to set foot inside,
others gaze at it tirelessly.
Drippings form a sweet streamlet,
as sailors on incoming junks bend their heads.
City folk also flock to these springs and woods.
Clever, indeed, the Old Man in Heaven!
 
Ho Xuan Huong :

Friday, May 6, 2016

Ch'iu Chin (1879-1907)


 A Letter To Lady T’ao Ch’iu
by Ch’iu Chin (1879?-1907)

Alone with my shadow,
I confide secrets to her
And draw strange symbols in the air,
like Yin Hao.
It is not sickness, nor wine,
Nor sorrow for the departed,
Like Li Ch’ing-Chao,
that cause an empire of broken-hearted
anxieties to arise in my heart.
There is no one I can confide in here;
Who can understand me?
My hopes and dreams are greater
Than those of the men who surround me,
But the chance of our survival grows less and less.
What good is a hero's heart
Inside this feminine dress?
My fate proceeds according to some perilous plan.
I ask Heaven:
Did the heroines of the past
Perish like this?

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Ts'ai-ken T'an (Hong Zicheng 1593-1665)

Those who mind the world lightly are also lightly stained by it; those who enter deeply into worldly affairs are mired in its calculating ways. Thus noble persons would rather be naïve than street wise, relaxed rather than bent upon trifles.