Carpe Diem's Crossroads #6 A Leafless Tree (Soseki Natsume)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our special feature "crossroads" in which I challenge you to create a "fusion" haiku from two haiku given. I love this feature, and I think you all do love it, because I have read wonderful "fusion"-haiku in the episodes before this one.

This week I love to challenge you to create a "fusion" haiku from two haiku written by Soseki Natsume, a haiku poet we have seen here at CDHK in one of our "theme-weeks" back in 2016. Let me first tell you a little bit more about him.

Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916), born Natsume Kinnosuke, was a Japanese novelist of the Meiji period (1868–1912). He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.

Soseki Natsume

Born as Natsume Kinnosuke in the town of Babashita in the Edo region of Ushigome (present Kikui, Shinjuku), Sōseki began his life as an unwanted child, born to his mother late in her life, forty years old and his father then fifty-three. When he was born, he already had five siblings. Having five children and a toddler had created family insecurity and was in some ways a disgrace to the Natsume family. In 1868, a childless couple, Shiobara Masanosuke and his wife, adopted him until the age of nine, when the couple divorced. He returned to his family and was welcomed by his mother although regarded as a nuisance by his father. His mother died when he was fourteen, and his two eldest brothers died in 1887, intensifying his sense of insecurity.

In 1887, Sōseki met Masaoka Shiki, a friend who would give him encouragement on the path to becoming a writer, which would ultimately be his career. Shiki tutored him in the art of composing haiku. From this point on, he began signing his poems with the name Sōseki, which is a Chinese idiom meaning "stubborn". In 1890, he entered the English Literature department, and quickly mastered the English language. In 1891 he produced a translation into English of the classical work Hōjōki. Sōseki graduated in 1893, and enrolled for some time as a graduate student and part-time teacher at the Tokyo Normal School.

Basho once said: "Go to the pine-tree and learn from it".

I love his work and I remember that in that "theme week" I mentioned I told you about two haiku by him that gave me the idea that he was familiar with the work of Basho. Those two haiku I love to give you here for our "crossroads" episode.

the crow has flown away:
swaying in the evening sun,
a leafless tree.

over the wintry
forest, winds howl in rage
with no leaves to blow.

© Soseki Natsume

Two wonderful haiku that show that Soseki was familiar with Basho's haiku, because you can easily "see" two renown haiku by Basho in this set by Soseki Natsume.

a leafless tree
sways in the autumn wind
no sound is heard

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... what do you think of this "fusion" - haiku? I like this one (how immodest) but has it brought in the idea of fusing the two haiku by Soseki?

This episode of "crossroads" is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until April 23rd at noon (CEST). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Namasté, the spiritual way #1 Introduction to a new feature

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It is my pleasure to present a new special feature here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. As you all know, haiku is not only the poetry of nature "an sich", but also the poetry of the spiritual nature. Haiku has its roots in Zen Buddhism, but also in Shinto, the official religion of Japan. In this new feature, Carpe Diem Namasté, the spiritual way, I love to explore that spiritual background of our beloved haiku. I hope to create this new feature every week as the start of the weekend, so it will be published every Friday evening around 10.00 PM (CET).

Namasté, I use it very often here at CDHK and all other parts of our CDHK family, e.g. Facebook, Tumblr and Wordpress, but what does it really mean?
Namasté is a Hindu holy greeting from one human being to another. It's always said with a gesture. The gesture you will maybe know. Both hands against each other fingers pointing to the sky, the Cosmos, to God; you close your eyes and bend your head a little towards your heart. Why do you have to close your eyes? Well ... every being is the same, notwithstanding race, color or physics, we are all the same.

Namasté

Maybe you can remember our Tarot-month back in 2013 (you can download the CDHK e-book Tarot in our library) in one of the episodes of that month, The Emperor, I talk about "God stuff", because before the Creation there was nothing only God and He used "God stuff" to create our world and us, so that means we are all part of God.
Now we can go back to Namasté, because what does it mean? Sometimes it is explained as "I greet the light in you", but I love to use Namasté because of its other meaning. That other meaning is: "The Divine in me bows before the Divine in you". I love that it's more my way of thinking and living. In everyone and everything I see God, Higher Self, Buddha or whatever name you would love use.
Namasté you can compare with the South German greeting "Grüss Gott!"

As you say Namasté you bow your head, in our Western culture we are not used to bowing, but bowing your head has nothing to do with submissiveness, the other is not superior, we are all the same. Bowing means "being equal" and being a part of God, as we all are. Bowing means "we are one", we are equal.
Both hands together, a gesture we all know, because both hands together is equal with praying, it's a very old gesture. Both hands together means also "I bring Sun and Moon together (the right hand means "Sun" and the left hand means "Moon") or "heaven and earth", you can also see this as "as is above, so is below", which we have seen here often at CDHK. It even is a haiku writing technique and we saw it often in our Tarot month.

Namasté

Your hands have a deeper spiritual meaning, they are synonymous with the Cosmos, even all separated fingers do have a meaning:

The thumb: emptiness and insight
The index: air and activity
The middle finger: fire and perception
The annulary: water and sensibility / receptivity
The little finger: earth and form

As you use the Namasté gesture than you bring your hands at the height of your heart, at the heart-chakra, the place were divine love enters. So another meaning of Namasté can be: "I honor the space in you (your heart) where love, truth, light and peace are ruling".

Over all you can say with Namasté "Your mind is not your boss it's your heart that has that authority".

Namasté gesture in words:

- both hands together, fingers pointing upward:
- close your eyes;
- bring your hands to your heart, or as sometimes seen, bring your hands first to your forehead (the Third Eye) and than to your heart.



Namasté

Namasté "I look at you with my inner eye, with my heart, the divine in me bows before the divine in you"

Isn't it wonderful? So much meaning in one gracious gesture? Isn't that what we hope to accomplish with our passion? Our haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry-form? Haiku needs a little bit of "God stuff", a little bit of "Namasté", a little bit of spirituality.

That's the goal of this new special feature "Carpe Diem Namasté, the spiritual way", try to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with a deeper, spiritual, meaning.

This first introductory episode of this new special feature here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai is NOW OPEN for your submissions. You can submit until Monday February 6th 10.00 PM (CET). I will publish a new episode of "Namasté, the spiritual way" on Friday February 10th around 10.00 PM (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Extra September 11th 2016 proposal response

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

A few days ago I did a proposal to create a Messenger (FB) group. I thought it was a great idea, but after following the responses I will not start this Messenger group, but I love to ask you (if you are part of CDHK) to use our FB-page Chèvrefeuille's Carpe Diem more often. It is possible to share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form for consideration and improving at our FB-page.

On our homepage you can find the link to our FB-page at the right side or follow this link to our FB-book page.

You're invited to share your poetry there to talk about. Maybe that will also have a positive energy on our bonding at CDHK.

Of course you can share your poetry also through Messenger (if we are FB-friends you can be in touch with me) with your questions for improvement.

Have a great Sunday,

Chèvrefeuille, your host.