Ryokan

This article is about the Zen monk. For the Japanese type of inn, see Ryokan (inn).

File:Ryokan-web.jpg

A Statue of Ryokan

Ryōkan (良寛, Ryōkan) was a Zen Buddhist monk who lived in Niigata Japan 1758-1831. He soon left the monastery, where practice was frequently quite lax, and lived as a hermit until he was very old and had to move into the house of one of his supporters.

Ryōkan was famous for his poetry and calligraphy. His poetry is often very simple and inspired by nature. He was a lover of children, and sometimes forgot to go on his alms round to get 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", which shows his great humility. In the tradition of Zen his quotes and poems show he had a good sense of humour and didn't take himself too seriously. However his poetry also gives illumining insights into the practise of Zen.

Ryōkan's Grave

Ryōkan lived a very simple, pure life, and stories about his kindness and generosity abound. On his deathbed, Ryōkan offered the following poem:

ura wo mise

omote wo mise

chiru momiji

showing their backs

then their fronts

the autumn leaves scatter in the wind

External links

File:Gogoan.jpg

Ryōkan's Hut

• Ryōkan's poetry
• Ryōkan as hermit
• Calligraphy
• Poems by Ryōkan

Further reading

• One Robe, One Bowl; The Zen Poetry of Ryõkan (ISBN 0834801264), 1977, translated and introduced by John Stevens.
• Three Zen Masters: Ikkyu, Hakuin, Ryokan (Kodansha Biographies) (ISBN 4770016514), 1993, by John Stevens.
• The Zen Fool: Ryokan (ISBN 0804821283), 2000, by Misao Kodama and Hikosaku Yanagashima.
• Great Fool: Zen Master Ryokan: Poems, Letters, and Other Writings (ISBN 082481777X), 1996, by Ryuichi Abe (with Peter Haskel).

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• History of "Ryokan"

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