Who says my poems are poems? My poems are not poems. When y… - Ryōkan

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Who says my poems are poems? My poems are not poems. When you know that my poems are not poems, Then we can speak of poetry.

Ryōkan

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About Ryōkan

Ryōkan (1758–1831) was an eccentric Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived in Echigo, Japan, as a hermit, most famous for his poetry and calligraphy.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Ryokan • Ryoukan

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Mary Oliver Robert Frost Rabindranath Tagore William Butler Yeats William Stafford

Additional quotes by Ryōkan

Late at night, listening to the winter rain Recalling my youth — Was it only a dream? Was I really young once?

Why do you so earnestly seek
the truth in distant places?
Look for delusion and truth in the
bottom of your own heart.

Cling to truth and it turns into falsehood. Understand falsehood and it turns into truth. Truth and falsehood are two sides of the same coin. Neither accept one nor reject the other.

Who says my poems are poems? My poems are not poems. When you know that my poems are not poems, Then we can speak of poetry. - Ryōkan

About Ryōkan

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