Carpe Diem Extra #2-2014

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This morning 2:30 AM my daughter has given birth to her fîrst child, a baby-boy Myron. All has gone oke and mother and child are both well. Now it's time to enjoy and rejoice.

Namaste

Carpe Diem Extra #1-2014, Ghost-Writer

 

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to ask you all attention for the following. As you maybe know I have introduced a new feature on our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai which I have titled "Ghost-Writer". Above in the MENU you can find more information about this new feature.
In this new feature I invite family-members of our Haiku Kai family to write a post for our Kai. I love to make a Ghost Writer week in week 15 ... I have invited five of our members to write a post and I am happy that three of them already have said they will write a post.

Than something else ... as all is going alright I will become a granddad again today (March 25th) our youngest daughter (21 yrs) will give birth to her first born. So ... maybe I post our next episode later than I have planned. We will see.

For now ... have a nice day,

Namaste

Chèvrefeuille, your host.

Carpe Diem #430, Sanuki Kokubun-ji (temple 80)

Dear O-Henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we will visit the 80th temple on the Shikoku trail, Sanuki Kokobun-ji, and that's the start of our last stage for this pilgrimage.
As you could have read in the last few post I have started a new feature named "Ghost-Writers" and I am glad that two of our family-members of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai already have said that they will be Ghost-Writer in week 15. Jules and Managua have emailed me that have taken the challenge to write a post as "Ghost-Writer". I am glad they did ... their posts will really be a joy to read I think ... we will see.

Sanuki Kokubun-ji (讃岐国分寺?) is an Omuro Shingon temple in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The provincial temple of former Sanuki Province and Temple 80 on the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage, it is said to have been founded by Gyōki in 741. The main image is of Senjū Kannon and Juichimen. Around Senju also known as Guanyin there are a lot of legends I love to share here two of those legends.The first is "Guanyin and the Thousand Arms" and the second is "Guanyin and Shancai"

Sanuki Kokubun-ji (temple 80)

Guanyin and the Thousand Arms:

One Buddhist legend from the Complete Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas  presents Guanyin as vowing to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from the samsara or reincarnation. Despite strenuous effort, she realized that there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. The buddha Amitabha, upon seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads to help her hear the cries of those who are suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms to let her reach out to those in need. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific versions give varying accounts of this number.

Guanyin and the Thousand Arms

Guanyin and Shancai:


Legend has it that Shancai (also called Sudhana in Sanskrit) was a disabled boy from India who was very interested in studying the dharma. When he heard that there was a Buddhist teacher on the rocky island of Putuo he quickly journeyed there to learn. Upon arriving at the island, he managed to find Guanyin despite his severe disability.

Guanyin, after having a discussion with Shancai, decided to test the boy's resolve to fully study the Buddhist teachings. She conjured the illusion of three sword-wielding pirates running up the hill to attack her. Guanyin took off and dashed to the edge of a cliff, the three illusions still chasing her.
Shancai, seeing that his teacher was in danger, hobbled uphill. Guanyin then jumped over the edge of the cliff, and soon after this the three bandits followed. Shancai, still wanting to save his teacher, managed to crawl his way over the cliff edge.
Shancai fell down the cliff but was halted in midair by Guanyin, who now asked him to walk. Shancai found that he could walk normally and that he was no longer crippled. When he looked into a pool of water he also discovered that he now had a very handsome face. From that day forth, Guanyin taught Shancai the entire dharma.

Temple devoted to Guanyin in Surabaya Indonesia

There are a lot of Buddhistic Legends and Tales, so maybe I will use a few of them in our upcoming Carpe Diem month about Legend, Myth and Saga next May.

Really nice stories full of devotion and spirituality. It is said that Chinese fishermen pray to Guanyin with the Thousand Arms to have a save trip and to come home save. It is obvious that Buddhism one of the most important religions is in the Far Eastern countries and that the Buddhistic boddhisattvas have more than one name in those regions.

many names
for the same boddhisattvas -
one religion

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Another one more in the sphere of the traditional haiku-art:

fishermen praying
to have a good catch and return save -
koi carp pond

(c) Chèvrefeuille

To conclude this episode another wonderful photo of Sanuki Kokubun-ji Temple.

Sanuki Kokubun-ji (temple 80)

boddhisattvas gather
in front of Sanuki Kokubun-ji
guiding pilgrims

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open for your submissions until March 27th 11.59 AM (CET). I will (try to) publish our new episode, Negoro-ji (temple 82), later on today.

Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Namaste

Carpe Diem #429, Zentsu-ji (temple 75)

Dear O-Henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today is a special day we are visiting the Zentsu-ji temple in Zentsu-ji Kagawa Prefecture. This temple is built in the early 9th century and is built in the birth place of Kobo Daishi. This temple was built by his father, Zentsu Saeki.

Zentsu-ji (temple 75)

The Shikoku trail is based on the life and actions by Kobo Daishi (or Kukai) and is established in honor of him. This Shikoku Pilgrimage is for Buddhists, what the Hajj is for the muslim. It's a once in a lif-time to do pilgrimage for the Buddhists.

Zentsu-ji is devoted to Yakushi Nyorai or the Buddha of Healing and Medicine. Starting in the 7th century in Japan, Yakushi was prayed to in the place of Ashuku (Akshobhya). Some of Yakushi's role has been taken over by Jizō (Ksitigarbha), but Yakushi is still invoked in the traditional memorial services for the dead. 

Older temples, those mostly found in the Tendai and Shingon sects, especially those around Kyoto, Nara and the Kinki region often have Yakushi as the center of devotion, unlike later Buddhist sects which focus on Amitabha Buddha or Kannon Bodhisattva almost exclusively. Often, when Yakushi is the center of devotion in a Buddhist temple, he is flanked by the Twelve Heavenly Generals (十二神将 Jūni-shinshō?), who were twelve yaksha generals who had been converted through hearing the Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabhārāja Sūtra:

"Wherever this sutra circulates or wherever there are sentient beings who hold fast to the name of the Medicine Buddha [Yakushi Buddha] and respectfully make offerings to him, whether in villages, towns, kingdoms or in the wilderness, we [the Twelve Generals] will all protect them. We will release them from all suffering and calamities and see to it that all their wishes are fulfilled." (Source: Wikipedia)

Zentsu-ji (temple 75)

Buddhist monks think and believe that Kobo Daishi isn't dead and that he still is alive hiding in the mountains, especially on Mount Koya. They bring food to this place for Kobo Daishi to keep him healthy and comfortable.

Buddhist Monks bringing Kobo Daishi food on Mount Koya

On Mount Koya a temple is once built named Kongobuji and a village, Koyasan, was established around it. Koyasan has become a small town during the centuries and was until 1872 only a place for male monks. In 1872 Koyasan became also open for women. Since then Koyasan has grown and in 2004 it became an UNESCO World Heritage. It's now the headquarters of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism and the Kongobuji temple is the heart of their religion.

Kongobuji tempel has one the worlds greatest rock gardens in which they practice Zen-Buddhism.

Kongobuji's Rock Garden

What a wonderful garden full of Zen and spirituality must be a joy to walk through it.

in deep silence
monks cleaning up their garden -
willow leaves fall

(c) Chèvrefeuille

What a joy this must be ... to have such a Rock Garden and meditate in it while cleaning it up ...

chanting their mantra
broomstick and rake in hand
true meditation

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until March 26th 11.59 AM (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Sanuki Kokubun-ji (temple 80), later on. For now ... have fun, be inspired and share your haiku, senryu, tanka, kyoka or haibun with our Haiku Kai.

Carpe Diem #428, Mandara-ji (temple 72)

Dear O-Henro .... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I have launched a new feature as you can find in the menu above. I have called it "Ghost-Writer" and in that new feature I invite haiku kai family-members to write a post. We will see if that's gonna work.

Today we enter temple 72, Mandara-ji, this temple is devoted to Vairocana, the embodiment of the Buddhist principle Emptiness, and he is refered to as the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.
Vairocana is first mentioned in the Brahma Net Sutra:

“Now, I, Vairocana Buddha am sitting atop a lotus pedestal; On a thousand flowers surrounding me are a thousand Sakyamuni Buddha’s. Each flower supports a hundred million worlds; in each world a Sakyamuni Buddha appears. All are seated beneath a Bodhi-tree, all simultaneously attain Buddhahood. All these innumerable Buddha’s have Vairocana as their original body".

Vairocana Buddha

What to say more? I just thought to leave it this way. We are still on our pilgrimage and the end is coming nearer ... 

an empty bowl,
lost on the street, toy for the wind,
home for a todd

(c) Chèvrefeuille

To conclude this episode I love to share a photo of Mandara-ji temple.

Mandara-ji (temple 72)

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until March 26th 11.59 AM (CET). We will travel on to temple 75, Zentsu-ji, in the birth-town of Kobo Daishi. I will try to post that episode today around 7.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Special #83, The Way of St. James (part 9)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are flying back from Japan to Europe to go on with our pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela together with Paulo Coelho and his companion Petrus. This pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela is almost at his end, we have still (including this one) two parts to go and than we will know if Paulo has retrieved his sword.
In our last Special I talked about Agape and today we will go even a bit further ... conquering Self.

As Paulo and his companion Petrus are going on with their pilgrimage they find a awesome waterfall and Petrus decides to take a dive in the cold water completely naked and challenges Paulo to do the same. As Petrus has got in to the cold water he yells at Paulo to do the same and that he will climb the waterfall to reach the magnificent top of the moutain from which the waterfall is throwing down its water. Petrus does what he says and climbs the waterfall naked only with his hands and feet.
As Petrus has conquered the waterfall and stands on the top of the mountain Paulo decides to do the same.

[...] "I trusted completely in my hands and feet. My hands had, after all, already held an ancient sword, and my feet had trod the Road to Santiago. They were my friends, and they were helping me." [...] (source: The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho)

Paulo succeeds in his task to climb the waterfall just like Petrus, but he had to fought against his thoughts to let go ... He describes it as follows:

[...] "I fought with all my strength to keep my hands and feet anchored to their holds, but the

noise of the water seemed to take me to another place. It was a mysterious and distant place where nothing that was happening at that moment was at all important, and it was a place that I could get to if I had the strength. In that place, there would no longer be any need for the superhuman effort it took to keep my hands and feet holding to the rock; there would be only rest and peace. But my hands and feet did not obey this impulse to surrender. They had resisted a mortal temptation. And my head began to emerge from the stream as gradually as it had entered it. I was overcome by a profound love for my body. It was there, helping me in this crazy adventure of climbing through a waterfall in search of a sword. When my head came completely through the surface,

I saw the bright sun above me and took a deep breath."[...]

Paulo had to overcome his Self ... and isn't that the goal of every pilgrimage?

climbing the mountains
trusting completely on faith -
sunflowers reach for the sun

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you did like this episode and maybe it has learned you something about your Self. Let that inspire you to write a haiku and share it with us all here at our Haiku Kai.
!! I have published our new promptlist for April 2014, you can find it above in the menu.

This episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until March 24th 11.59 AM (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Mandara-ji (temple 72), later on.

Carpe Diem #427, Motoyama-ji (temple 70)

Dear O-Henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Motoyama-ji, the 70th temple on the Shikoku trail is one of the oldest temples on the trail. Its history goes back to the 9th century and was established by Emperor Heizei's (773-824) instructions in 807. Heizei was the 51st Emperor of Japan.
Motoyama-ji is a temple of the Koyasan Shingon-shu sect, the sect wich Kobo Daishi (or Kukai) founded in 807, so Motoyama-ji is one of the first temples based on the Buddhist principles founded by Kobo Daishi.

Motoyama-ji (temple 70)

Motoyama-ji is devoted to Bato Kannon or the bodhisattva of compassion or the Goddess of Mercy. From this bodhisattva comes the famous Buddhist saying: 'Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is form', which we can find in the Heart Sutra, the sutra about the Perfection of Wisdom.
So ... with this knowledge I have to come up with a wise piece of post here (smiles), but am I wise enough? We will see ...
My wisdom lays deep down inside of my heart hidden for the world. Will I share that with the world? Will I give my wisdom? Maybe that's my wisdom 'I am not wise. I take all and everything for granted with an open heart and that makes me wise'.

watching the world
with an open heart and mind -
that's true wisdom

(c) Chèvrefeuille

In this episode I love to watch at another theme of the State of Zen of Haiku, materiality.
Zen, like haiku,emphazises the material, as against the so-called spiritual. There is no abstract arguing, no general principles. Everything is concrete. If we glance through a number of haiku we find they are entirely about things, snow, cherry blossoms, people dancing, frogs, the wind.

A few haiku by Miura Chora (1729-1780) to 'show' this.

ya wa ureshiku hiru wa shizuka ya haru no ame

at night, happiness;
in the day-time, quietness,
spring rain


hiya mizu ni senbei ni-mai chora ga natsu

cold water,
two biscuits,
Chora's summer

As we can read in the second haiku it's not a shame to mention yourself in a haiku unlike the classical rule 'No Self, it's an experience not how the poet feels about it'.

The materiality of Zen comes out in the fact that the religious life is at the lowest ebb in church, where everything is arranged to incline the mind to some other place, Heaven or Hell, some other time, the past or the future. Religion is more outside on the streets, in nature or even on a battle-field.
In poetry, at least as the haiku-poets understand it, we simply cannot manage to do without things.
We suppose that the body is a machine and that the soul drives it at will hither an thither, but the reverse is the case. Our boasted self-control, confession and penance, reformation, conversion, salvation, - all are determined physically, in our bodies.
It is the root which the cold and silent earth decides what flowers are to bloom in the wind and sun.

Things and mankind are equal, our common nature, is reciprocal. We excist only if they do. They will not be lorded over and treated with contempt. We are equals and can live together harmoniously only if our independence and dependence, our separatness and continuity is recognized. Things have done their part; it is for us to do ours.
In this we can only see the same phrase as we saw at the beginning of this episode:

'Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form'.

A nice haiku by Shiki (1867-1902) can 'show' what I hoped to say above.

rai harete ichi ju no yuhi semi-no koe

the thunderstorm having cleared up,
the evening sun shines on a tree
where a cicada is chirping

By this materiality of aspect, animate and inanimate things lose much of their difference, as do also human and non-human.

after the rainstorm
I sit down on the porch
smelling the fresh air

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This concludes this episode which is NOW OPEN for your submissions until March 24th 11.59 AM (CET). I will try to post our new Special episode, part 9 of our pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela, later on today. Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with our Haiku Kai.