Carpe Diem Crossroads #12 young birds are raised

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As you all can see I have changed the logo of this Crossroads feature. The original image I used was by a photographer Martin Liebermann and he has asked me to remove the image from Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. Of course I am sad that I had to change the logo of our Crossroads feature, but I understand the question by mr. Liebermann. I will search for another image to use as a logo for Crossroads, but for now I have changed it to the above shown logo.

For this episode of Carpe Diem Crossroads I have another nice set of haiku for you to work with, but let me explain the task again for Crossroads. The task is to create a so called "fusion"-haiku from the given haiku. With that task you create a symbiosis bewteen the two haiku. Every set of haiku used here in Crossroads are always by the same haiku poet, because I don't think it's possible to create a "fusion"-haiku from two haiku by two different haiku poets.

This episode I have chosen two haiku written by Ryokan (1758-1831). Let me tell you a little bit about him:

Ryokan was born in 1758, the first son in a noble family in Izumozaki in the Echigo District. He entered the priesthood at the age of 18 and was given the Buddhist name "Ryokan" when he was 22 years old. He kept searching for the ultimate truths through his life. Leaning the Chinese classics and poetry at Entsu Temple of the Soto Sect in Tamashima in the Bichu District, he practiced hard asceticism under Priest Kokusen for 20 years. After this, he traveled all over the country on foot and returned to his home village just before the age of 40. He lived at the Gogoan hut in Kokujyo Temple on Mt. Kugami, and then moved down to a thatched hut in Otoko Shrine at the foot of the Mountain. It is said that he enjoyed writing traditional Japanese poetry, Chinese poetry and calligraphy all through his simple, carefree and unselfish life.

Ryokan (painting by Yasuda Yukihiko)

He was also called "Temari-Shonin (The Priest who Plays with a Temari ball)" and was much loved by children, since he often played with a Temari ball (Japanese cotton-wound ball), Ohajiki (small glass counters for playing games) together with children in the mountain village. Much of his poetry and letters which still remain, all of which are full of his sympathy and affection for children, describe his joyful times with children and also reveal his high personal qualities as a man who devoted his life to meditation. Ryokan was a Zen priest, but he never established his own temple, and lived by alms. Instead of preaching, he enjoyed companionship and conversation with many ordinary people. In 1831, he ended his 74-year life as an honest priest respected and loved by all he knew.

Here are the two haiku to work with and create your "fusion"-haiku:

river in winter 
soaring over peaks
an eagle spots its prey

hedge branches 
young birds are raised 
morning snow 

© Ryokan

Eagle

Two nice haiku, but it will not be an easy task to create a "fusion"-haiku with it I think. Of course I have given it a try myself and this is what I came up with:

first snow falls
old birds nest covered with a blanket
the eagle without vision

© Chèvrefeuille

Awesome to wotrk with these two haiku, but for sure it wasn't easy. Now it is up to you my dear Haijin ...

This Crossroads episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until June 30th at noon (CEST). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017 #10 an autumn leaf (Ryokan Taigu)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I have a beautiful "hokku" by a not so well known classical haiku poet, Ryokan Taigu (1758-1831). Let me tell you a little bit more about him to introduce him to you.

Ryokan Taigu (1758-1831)

Ryōkan was born as Eizō Yamamoto (Yamamoto Eizō?) in the village of Izumozaki in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture) in Japan to the village headman. He renounced the world at an early age to train at nearby Sōtō Zen temple Kōshō-ji, refusing to meet with or accept charity from his family. Once the Zen master Kokusen visited the temple, and Ryōkan was deeply impressed with his demeanor. He solicited permission to become Kokusen's disciple. Kokusen accepted, and the two returned to Entsū-ji monastery in Tamashima (now Okayama Prefecture).

It was at Entsū-ji that Ryōkan attained satori and was presented with an Inka by Kokusen. Kokusen died the following year, and Ryōkan left Entsū-ji to embark on a long pilgrimage. He lived much of the rest of his monastic life as a hermit. His decision to leave Entsū-ji may have been influenced by Gentō Sokuchū, the abbot of the temple. At the time, Gentō was aggressively reforming the Sōtō school to remove perceived 'foreign' elements, including kōan.

He was originally ordained as Ryōkan Taigu. Ryō means "good", kan means "broad", and Taigu means "great fool"; Ryōkan Taigu would thus translate as "broad-hearted generous fool", referring to qualities that Ryōkan's work and life embodies.

Ryōkan spent much of his time writing poetry, doing calligraphy, and communing with nature. His poetry is often very simple and inspired by nature. He loved children, and sometimes forgot to beg for food because he was playing with the children of the nearby village. Ryōkan refused to accept any position as a priest or even as a "poet." In the tradition of Zen his quotes and poems show he had a good sense of humor and didn't take himself too seriously.

Statue of  Ryokan Taigu

Ryōkan lived a very simple life, and stories about his kindness and generosity abound. On his deathbed, Ryōkan offered the following death poem to Teishin, his close companion:

Although he lived a simple and pure life, Ryōkan also displayed characteristics that under normal circumstances would be out of line for a typical monk.

In 1826 Ryōkan became ill and was unable to continue living as a hermit. He moved into the house of one of his patrons, Kimura Motouemon, and was cared for by a young nun called Teishin. "The [first] visit left them both exhilarated, and led to a close relationship that brightened Ryōkan's final years".The two of them exchanged a series of haiku. The poems they exchanged are both lively and tender. Ryōkan died from his illness on the 6th day of the new year 1831. "Teishin records that Ryōkan, seated in meditation posture, died 'just as if he were falling asleep”.

The "hokku" you have to use today is Ryokan's Jisei (death-poem):

ura wo mise omote wo misete chiru momiji

now it reveals its hidden side

and now the other—thus it falls,

an autumn leaf

© Ryokan Taigu

I love this haiku very much, because of the movement in it, the dance of the leaves ... really nice to work with I think.

Here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with this "hokku" by Ryokan:

now it reveals its hidden side

and now the other—thus it falls,

an autumn leaf                                 © Ryokan Taigu

even nature has its own spirit
performing its "dying swan"            © Chèvrefeuille

I was triggered by the visueel dance in Ryokan's "hokku" and the first thing that came to mind was the "dying swan" scene of that famous ballet "Swan Lake" composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. I associated on "autumn", the season in which nature "dies" and the movement by the falling leaves.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until May 20th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #102 "the plum blossoms gone" by Ryokan Taigu

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our weekly Tan Renga Challenge in which I will challenge you to make the Tan Renga complete by adding the second (two-lined) stanza towards it.
This week I have a nice "hokku" by Ryokan Taigu for you.

Let me first tell you something about Ryokan Taigu:

Ryokan was born in 1758, the first son in a noble family in Izumozaki in the Echigo District. He entered the priesthood at the age of 18 and was given the Buddhist name "Ryokan" when he was 22 years old. He kept searching for the ultimate truths through his life. Leaning the Chinese classics and poetry at Entsu Temple of the Soto Sect in Tamashima in the Bichu District, he practiced hard asceticism under Priest Kokusen for 20 years. After this, he traveled all over the country on foot and returned to his home village just before the age of 40. He lived at the Gogoan hut in Kokujyo Temple on Mt. Kugami, and then moved down to a thatched hut in Otoko Shrine at the foot of the Mountain. It is said that he enjoyed writing traditional Japanese poetry, Chinese poetry and calligraphy all through his simple, carefree and unselfish life. He was also called "Temari-Shonin (The Priest who Plays with a Temari ball)" and was much loved by children, since he often played with a Temari ball (Japanese cotton-wound ball), Ohajiki (small glass counters for playing games) together with children in the mountain village. Much of his poetry and letters which still remain, all of which are full of his sympathy and affection for children, describe his joyful times with children and also reveal his high personal qualities as a man who devoted his life to meditation. Ryokan was a Zen priest, but he never established his own temple, and lived by alms. Instead of preaching, he enjoyed companionship and conversation with many ordinary people. In 1831, he ended his 74-year life as an honest priest respected and loved by all he knew.

Gogō-an, the cottage where Ryōkan lived from 1804 to 1816  

Here is the "hokku". the first stanza of this new Tan Renga Challenge:

The plum blossoms gone, 

They look older than they are,
Ancient cottage eaves.

© Ryokan Taigu (1758-1831)

And now it is up to you to make this Tan Renga complete. have fun!

This episode is open for your submissions today at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Friday June 17th at noon (CET). Have fun!