The flower invites the butterfly with no-mind; The butterfl… - Ryōkan

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The flower invites the butterfly with no-mind;
The butterfly visits the flower with no-mind.
The flower opens, the butterfly comes;
The butterfly comes, the flower opens.
I don't know others,
Others don't know me.
By not-knowing we follow nature's course

Ryōkan

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

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Originators like Ryōkan:

Mary Oliver Robert Frost Rabindranath Tagore William Butler Yeats William Stafford

Additional quotes by Ryōkan

He never preached or exhorted, but his life radiated purity and joy, he was a living sermon.

When? When?
How eagerly I've been waiting.
Now that you are here
What more do I want?
いついつと
待ちにし人は
来たりけり
今は会ひ見て
何か思はむ

In all ten directions of the universe, there is only one truth. When we see clearly, the great teachings are the same. What can ever be lost? What can be attained? If we attain something, it was there from the beginning of time. If we lose something, it is hiding somewhere near us.

The flower invites the butterfly with no-mind; The butterfly visits the flower with no-mind. The flower opens, the butterfly comes; The butterfly com… - Ryōkan

About Ryōkan

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