| Following Dream Paths |
Waking from a Dream of Yoshiyuki Where did you come from, -Ryokan Monk, poet, calligrapher, and hermit: Japanese Zen master Ryokan (1758 – 1831) never headed a temple himself but instead chose to live alone in simple grass huts and survive by the Buddhist monk’s tradition of begging for food. His father was a village headman and custodian of the local Shinto shrine. Young Ryokan joined the Zen sect without his parent’s permission, thus leaving his younger brother Yoshiyuki to become the family heir. Ryokan was by all accounts shy and awkward yet warm and compassionate. He was sensitive, introspective, and bookish, yet he kept a few close friends with which he corresponded frequently. His highly individual character is reflected in his poetry which eschewed most conventions of the time and remained youthful and intuitive yet profound and clear. He explored themes of nature, friendship, loneliness, spirituality, and beauty in everyday activities. Late in his life he was well respected for his work and today he is recognized as one of the most important literary figures of his period. |