A Zen wave : Basho's haiku and Zen

180 Pages·2003·5.367 MB·English

by  Aitken, Robert

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A Zen Wave
Basko's Haiku and Zen

A ZEN WAVE
ALSO BY
ROBERT AITKEN
The Morning Star
Zen Master Raven
Original Dwelling Place
The Practice of Perfection
Encouraging Words
The Gateless Barrier
The Dragon Who Never Sleep
The Mind of Clover
Taking the Path of Zen
The Ground We Share
with David Steindl-Rast
ROBERT AITKEN
A ZEN WAVE
Basho’s Haiku and Zen
FOREWORD BY W. S. MERWIN
SHOEMAKER & HOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
First published by John Weatherhill, Inc. in 1978.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
The photograph of the Basho figure oh the cover and facing page 10 is by Robin Scanlon.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Aitken, Robert, 1917-
A Zen wave : Basho’s haiku and Zen / Robert Aitken ; foreword by W. S. Merwin.
p. cm.
Includes translation of Matsuo, Basho’s famous haiku.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-59376-008-6
1. Matsuo, Basho, 1644-1694—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Zen
Buddhism in literature. 3. Matsuo, Basho, 1644-1694—Religion. I.
Matsuo, Basho, 1644-1694 Selected works. English & Japanese. 2003. II.
Title.
PL794.4.Z5 A78 2003
895.6'i32—dc2i 2003014106
Cover and text design by Wesley B. Tanner/Passim Editions
Printed in the United States of America
Shoemaker & Hoard
A Division of the Avalon Publishing Group
Distributed by Publishers Group West
10 987654321
3 1223 06390 8405
FOR ANNE

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by W. S. Merwin xi
Introduction xvii
Basho’s Life xix
The Development and Form of the Haiku xx
Haiku in English and the Form of This Book xxi
1 The Old Pond 3
2 The Mountain Path 8
3 Autumn in Kiso 14
4 Wisteria Flowers 20
5 Quail 25
6 Suma in Summer 31
7 That 36
8 That’s Interesting 43
9 The Shepherd’s Purse 49
10 This Road 55
11 The Morning Glory and the Butterfly 60
12 The Four-and-a-Half-Mat Room 65
13 Bush Clover and the Moon 71
14 The Go’i 75
15 Traveler 80
16 Hailstones 85
17 The Cricket • 92
18 Dreams 97
19 Cherry Blossoms 102
Vlll A Zen Wave
20 The Bagworm 109
21 Blossom Viewing 114
22 Birds Crying 119
23 Miming 125
24 The Beginning of Culture 130
25 The Priest and Chrysanthemum Flowers 135
26 Net of the Law 139
Glossary of Selected Terms 143
Notes 145
Illustrations will be found on the following pages: 11-12, 27-28,
89-90,107-108.