Sky Above, Great Wind by Ryokan
The delightful and often funny poetry of Zen's quintessential free spirit, Master Ryokan-in a fresh translation by a beloved American Zen figureRyokan Taigu (1758-1831) was a monk in the Soto lineage of Japanese Zen who spent a good part of his life as a hermit, writing poetry, playing with children, and creating simple and exquisitely beautiful calligraphies-sometimes using twigs as his instrument when he couldn't afford a brush. He was never head of a monastery or temple and as an old man, he fell in love with a young Zen nun who also became his student. His affection for her colors the mature poems of his late period.
This loving tribute to the great legendary nonconformist includes more than 140 of his poems, 13 examples of his art, and a selection of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes about his highly idiosyncratic teaching behavior.
Ryokan (1758-1831) is, along with Dogen and Hakuin, one of the three giants of Zen in Japan. But unlike his two renowned colleagues, Ryokan was a societal dropout, living mostly as a hermit and a beggar. He is now regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Edo Period, along with Basho, Buson, and Issa. He was also a master artist-calligrapher with a very distinctive style, due mostly to his unique and irrepressible spirit. Kazuaki Tanahashi, a Japanese-trained calligrapher, is the pioneer of the genre of one stroke painting as well as the creator of multicolor enso (Zen circles). His brushwork has been shown in solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, and universities all over the world. Tanahashi has edited several books of Dogen's writings and is also the author of Brush Mind.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781590309827 |
| ISBN 10 | 1590309820 |
| Title | Sky Above, Great Wind |
| Author | Kazuaki Tanahashi |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Shambhala Publications Inc |
| Year published | 2012-10-09 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |