Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,
Another day in haiku paradise Carpe Diem. Today we share haiku on 'Buddha' (provided by
Patricia of High Five and Raspberries). A lovely prompt I think and to me even an everlasting love, I am somewhat of a Zen-Buddhist as a haiku poet.
I love to share some background on Buddha.
Gautama
Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a
spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent,on whose teachings Buddhism was
founded.
The word
Buddha is a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist
traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P.
sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning
"awakened one" or "the enlightened one." Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as
Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas"). Gautama
taught a Middle Way compared to the severe asceticism found in the Sramana
(renunciation) movement common in his region. He later taught throughout
regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.
The time of
Gautama's birth and death is uncertain: most historians in the early 20th
century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE] but more recent opinion
dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411
and 400 BCE. However, at a specialist symposium on this question held in 1988 in
Göttingen, the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave
dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with
others supporting earlier or later dates. These alternative chronologies,
however, have not yet been accepted by all other historians.
Gautama is
the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and
monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his
death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings
attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to
writing about 400 years later.
The primary
sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different, and
sometimes conflicting, traditional biographies. These include the Buddhacarita,
Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā. Of these, the Buddhacarita
is the earliest full biography, an epic poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa, and
dating around the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The Lalitavistara Sūtra is
the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd
century CE. The Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is
another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century
CE. The Dharmaguptaka biography of the Buddha is the most exhaustive, and is
entitled the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra, and various Chinese translations of this
date between the 3rd and 6th century CE. Lastly, the Nidānakathā is from the
Theravāda tradition in Sri Lanka, composed in the 5th century CE by Buddhaghoṣa.
From canonical sources, the Jātaka tales,
Mahapadana Sutta (DN 14), and the Achariyabhuta Sutta (MN 123) include
selective accounts that may be older, but are not full biographies. The Jātaka
tales retell previous lives of Gautama as a bodhisattva, and the first
collection of these can be dated among the earliest Buddhist texts. The
Mahāpadāna Sutta and Acchariyaabbhuta Sutta both recount miraculous events
surrounding Gautama's birth, such as the bodhisattva's descent from Tuṣita
Heaven into his mother's womb.
Isn't it an awesome story? As haiku poets we all have somewhat of Buddhism in us because Zen Buddhism is part of the classical haiku tradition. Nature is one of the main ideas on which haiku is inspired. Basho was a Buddhist and Issa also was a Buddhist ... and Chiyo-Ni, our haiku master for this month, was a Buddhist Nun. So haiku and Buddhism are part of each other.
Buson, not a Buddhist (as far as I know), wrote the next haiku:
akino kure hotoke ni bakeru
tanuki kana
autumn nightfall -
a badger has turned himself
into a Buddha
Or what do you think of this one, also by Buson:
daibutsu no kanata miya
sama semi no koe
This great Buddha:
Beyond it live Princes,
Amid the cicadas' song.
Or this wonderful haiku written by Issa:
kogakure ya ônembutsu
de ta wo ueru
hidden in trees
praising Amida Buddha...
rice planter
Another one by Issa:
shirôto no
nembutsu ni sae sakura chiru
even a layman
praises Amida Buddha...
cherry blossoms fall
A last example ... a haiku by Chiyo-Ni, our haiku master for this month. Not entirely on Buddha, but with a touch of Buddha in it:
kaku tera
no kane no
oto ga kaze
ni chigai masu
each sound
of
the temple bell is different
in the wind
OK ... enough of other haiku poets ... let's go and compose my own haiku on Buddha. First a haiku written by me, earlier:
snow
falls softly
the statue of Buddha covered
in white silk
Or this one which I wrote almost a year ago:
Buddha
covered with fresh snow
still smiles
OK ... a last one which I wrote earlier:
the cool
breeze
stroking the lovely face
of Buddha's child
So ... back to today ... have to come with a new haiku ... here it goes:
compassionate
I feel like Buddha
as a nurse
as a nurse
full unconditional love
just like Buddha
just like Buddha
my youngest grandson smiles
compassionate
I love it ... just a wonderful series of haiku based on the base of haiku ... Buddhism.
Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us here on Carpe Diem. This prompt will stay on 'till February 4th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our first Carpe Diem Special of this months haiku master Chiyo-Ni later on today around 10.00 PM (CET). I haven't yet decided which haiku by Chiyo-Ni I would love to share ... so be patient ... and let the surprise catch you.
