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Kokuu
10-25-2019, 03:26 PM
Dear all

I have recently acquired a copy of Temple Dusk (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/466801.Temple_Dusk), a book of haiku from 1992 by Mitsu Suzuki.

Mitsu Suzuki was a notable haiku poet and tea teacher. Her husband was the Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki, founder of San Francisco Zen Center and Tassajara Zen Center. After Suzuki Roshi died in 1971, Mitsu continued to live at SFZC before returning to Japan in 1993 and leaving the visible world in January 2015 at the age of 101: http://blogs.sfzc.org/blog/2016/01/09/mitsu-suzuki-passes-away-aged-101/

Reading her work, it has a beautiful simplicity that I would like to achieve myself.


Too small
to call it a Zen garden
moss blossoms


Journey at dusk
yellow bamboo
the entire mountain


Intently sewing patched robes
an old nun
fringed iris


Dialogue of bells
entering into winter
dokusan


On my husband's ash urn
I hang his rakusu
winter's first rain

(this one gets me every time)


In addition to Temple Dusk, another book of her poetry was released to mark her one hundredth birthday, A White Tea Bowl (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18249403-a-white-tea-bowl).

One of my haiku teachers gave Temple Dusk two stars on Goodreads. Maybe there was too much Zen for him as the poems are undoubtedly beautiful and go beyond mere words.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Ishin
10-25-2019, 04:48 PM
Interesting! Thanks for sharing Kokuu

Gassho
Ishin
Sat/lah

Kotei
10-25-2019, 04:51 PM
Beautiful...
I really like the last one, too.
Thank you.

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

Onka
10-25-2019, 07:38 PM
Beautiful.
Gassho
Anna
st

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Nenka
10-25-2019, 08:51 PM
Thanks for this. I might try to find a copy.

Gassho

Nenka

ST

Hoseki
10-26-2019, 11:29 AM
Kokku those are lovely. I'm going to pick up a copy of A White Tea Bowl. It looks like it will be easier to find than Temple Dusk.

Gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday

Kokuu
10-26-2019, 11:52 AM
Hi Hoseki

Having recently scouted around for additional copies (I found mine in a online thrift store), I think you are correct. It seems to go for $25+ in most places where it is available.

If I see any reasonably priced ones, I will post here.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Hoseki
10-26-2019, 03:25 PM
Hi Hoseki

Having recently scouted around for additional copies (I found mine in a online thrift store), I think you are correct. It seems to go for $25+ in most places where it is available.

If I see any reasonably priced ones, I will post here.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Thanks!

Gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday


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Horin
10-26-2019, 04:48 PM
So beautiful, these poems. Thank you!

Gassho
Ben


Stlah

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Meitou
10-26-2019, 09:14 PM
Kokku those are lovely. I'm going to pick up a copy of A White Tea Bowl. It looks like it will be easier to find than Temple Dusk.

Gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday

Yes, me too.

Mitsu Suzuki's haiku are exquisite ..

Intently sewing patched robes
an old nun
fringed iris

I can visualise this, there's an entire story right here; it will never cease to amaze me how evocative three lines of words can be.
Thank you for posting, and the recommendation of course !
Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylah

Onka
10-26-2019, 09:57 PM
Yes, me too.

Mitsu Suzuki's haiku are exquisite ..

Intently sewing patched robes
an old nun
fringed iris

I can visualise this, there's an entire story right here; it will never cease to amaze me how evocative three lines of words can be.
Thank you for posting, and the recommendation of course !
Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylahThat's genuinely breathtaking!
Can anyone lead me to where such magnificent simplicity is captured? Especially books please.
Gassho
Anna
st

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Meitou
10-26-2019, 10:45 PM
That's genuinely breathtaking!
Can anyone lead me to where such magnificent simplicity is captured? Especially books please.
Gassho
Anna
st

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Anna, Kokuu is our resident Haiku poet, and also our Haiku Wiki. I'm sure he can point you to the moon regarding resources, courses and the best books. I wouldn't mind revisiting these myself because when my last computer up and died suddenly, I lost all of the resource material Kokuu had so kindly pointed me toward.
A White Tea Bowl mentioned above, is readily available and I'll be buying it within the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime, check this out https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?138-Haiku-Club

Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylah

Onka
10-26-2019, 10:47 PM
Anna, Kokuu is our resident Haiku poet, and also our Haiku Wiki. I'm sure he can point you to the moon regarding resources, courses and the best books. I wouldn't mind revisiting these myself because when my last computer up and died suddenly, I lost all of the resource material Kokuu had so kindly pointed me toward.
A White Tea Bowl mentioned above, is readily available and I'll be buying it within the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime, check this out https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?138-Haiku-Club

Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylahThank you Meitou
Gassho
Anna
st

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Kokuu
10-26-2019, 11:32 PM
Hi Anna

These are some of my favourite haiku books: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/books-and-weblinks/

Many contemporary haiku journals can be read online e.g. Otata 46 (https://otatablog.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/post-otata-46-october-2019.pdf)

Classical haiku from 'the big four'
Matsuo Basho: http://oaks.nvg.org/basho.html
Yosa Buson: https://kyotojournal.org/fiction-poetry/yosa-buson-haiku-master/
Kobayashi Issa: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa
Masaoka Shiki: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa

My short piece on Zen and haiku: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/zen-and-haiku/

As Meitou says, don't get me started! (although really, feel free to ask for more!)

begging bowl
a crack in the pavement
grows dandelions

(by me and published in Otata, April 2019)

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Onka
10-27-2019, 02:12 AM
Hi Anna

These are some of my favourite haiku books: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/books-and-weblinks/

Many contemporary haiku journals can be read online e.g. Otata 46 (https://otatablog.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/post-otata-46-october-2019.pdf)

Classical haiku from 'the big four'
Matsuo Basho: http://oaks.nvg.org/basho.html
Yosa Buson: https://kyotojournal.org/fiction-poetry/yosa-buson-haiku-master/
Kobayashi Issa: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa
Masaoka Shiki: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa

My short piece on Zen and haiku: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/zen-and-haiku/

As Meitou says, don't get me started! (although really, feel free to ask for more!)

begging bowl
a crack in the pavement
grows dandelions

(by me and published in Otata, April 2019)

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-Dynamite! Thanks Kokuu.
Gassho
Anna
stlah

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Meitou
10-27-2019, 08:47 AM
Hi Anna

These are some of my favourite haiku books: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/books-and-weblinks/

Many contemporary haiku journals can be read online e.g. Otata 46 (https://otatablog.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/post-otata-46-october-2019.pdf)

Classical haiku from 'the big four'
Matsuo Basho: http://oaks.nvg.org/basho.html
Yosa Buson: https://kyotojournal.org/fiction-poetry/yosa-buson-haiku-master/
Kobayashi Issa: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa
Masaoka Shiki: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa

My short piece on Zen and haiku: https://yearinhaiku.wordpress.com/zen-and-haiku/

As Meitou says, don't get me started! (although really, feel free to ask for more!)

begging bowl
a crack in the pavement
grows dandelions

(by me and published in Otata, April 2019)

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Thank you again Kokuu.
I cannot recommend A White Tea Bowl enough, Mitsu Suzuki's poems are so simple and spare, but so powerful and moving. They let me cry. This was so appropriate this morning..

autumn's chill -
tea bowl's roundness
wrapped in my hands

Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday

Jakuden
10-27-2019, 05:34 PM
On my husband's ash urn
I hang his rakusu
winter's first rain



[gassholook]

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH

Meitou
10-28-2019, 07:08 AM
Seeing the appreciation here, may I suggest that we have a prompt named Autumn, in which we could post our own attempts as well as our favourite Autumn haiku from other poets? Just a thought Kokuu because I don't want to burden you with more work.
Gassho
Meitou sattoday

Onka
10-28-2019, 08:19 AM
Seeing the appreciation here, may I suggest that we have a prompt named Autumn, in which we could post our own attempts as well as our favourite Autumn haiku from other poets? Just a thought Kokuu because I don't want to burden you with more work.
Gassho
Meitou sattodayIt's Spring here ;-P

Gassho
Anna

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Meitou
10-28-2019, 12:08 PM
It's Spring here ;-P

Gassho
Anna

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Yes that occurred to me while ago as I sat zazenkai with you. That makes it even more fun as we could always have two seasons on the go.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday

Washin
10-29-2019, 06:33 AM
On my husband's ash urn
I hang his rakusu
winter's first rain

(this one gets me every time)


That is beautiful. Thank you gassho2

Gassho
Washin
sat today

Heiso
10-29-2019, 10:46 AM
On my husband's ash urn
I hang his rakusu
winter's first rain

Oh wow, that is very powerful. Thank you, and thanks for the reminder of your recommend reading list, Kokuu!

Gassho,

Neil

StLah

Kyonin
10-29-2019, 05:21 PM
Thank you Kokuu.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

Heiso
11-04-2019, 03:04 PM
Just a quick note to say that I downloaded and started Betty Drevniok's book 'aware - a haiku primer' as recommended by Kokuu

- http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/0df09bda685fae183d4413808f89a94d.pdf

I'm finding her guide to writing really useful, especially the idea of a haiku log book which we use to record the moment and return to when we start writing.

Gassho,

Neil

StLah

Heiso
11-19-2019, 10:06 AM
I've just received my copy of A White Tea Bowl. Love it already!

Gassho,

Neil

StLah

Kokuu
11-19-2019, 10:33 AM
I've just received my copy of A White Tea Bowl. Love it already!

Wonderful!

Gassho
Kokuu