Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itse… - Ryōkan

" "
Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

Ryōkan

poetry poems buddhism buddhist hermit philosophy japan monk ryokan seers zen zen-monk poem philosophers japanese

English

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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

All quotes from Ryōkan Similar Quotes by other Originators

Originators like Ryōkan:

Mary Oliver Robert Frost Rabindranath Tagore William Butler Yeats William Stafford

Additional quotes by Ryōkan

The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away,and the weather is clear again. If your heart is pure, then all things in your world are pure... Then the moon and flowers will guide you along the Way

How can we ever lose interest in life? Spring has come again
And cherry trees bloom in the mountains.

In my hometown, there are two brothers
with contrary characters.
One is clever and eloquent,
the other is foolish and silent.
The foolish one
seems to have all the time in the world.
The clever one
is always busy depleting his life.

Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itself. Ten days' worth of rice in my bag; a bundle of twigs by the fireplace. Why chatter abo… - Ryōkan

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