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Thread: ARTS: Temple Dusk: Zen Haiku

  1. #1

    ARTS: Temple Dusk: Zen Haiku

    Dear all

    I have recently acquired a copy of 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/2016/01/0...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.

    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-
    Last edited by Jundo; 01-24-2021 at 02:38 AM.

  2. #2
    Interesting! Thanks for sharing Kokuu

    Gassho
    Ishin
    Sat/lah
    Grateful for your practice

  3. #3
    Beautiful...
    I really like the last one, too.
    Thank you.

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/lah today.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  4. #4
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Beautiful.
    Gassho
    Anna
    st

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    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  5. #5
    Thanks for this. I might try to find a copy.

    Gassho

    Nenka

    ST

  6. #6
    Member Hoseki's Avatar
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    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

  7. #7
    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-

  8. #8
    Member Hoseki's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    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


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    So beautiful, these poems. Thank you!

    Gassho
    Ben


    Stlah

    Gesendet von meinem PLK-L01 mit Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Hoseki View Post
    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
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  11. #11
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    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
    That's genuinely breathtaking!
    Can anyone lead me to where such magnificent simplicity is captured? Especially books please.
    Gassho
    Anna
    st

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Anna View Post
    That's genuinely breathtaking!
    Can anyone lead me to where such magnificent simplicity is captured? Especially books please.
    Gassho
    Anna
    st

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    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/foru...138-Haiku-Club

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  13. #13
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    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/foru...138-Haiku-Club

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    Thank you Meitou
    Gassho
    Anna
    st

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  14. #14
    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

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

  15. #15
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    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

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

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    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

    Classical haiku from 'the big four'
    Matsuo Basho: http://oaks.nvg.org/basho.html
    Yosa Buson: https://kyotojournal.org/fiction-poe...-haiku-master/
    Kobayashi Issa: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...-haiku-by-issa
    Masaoka Shiki: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...-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
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post


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


    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH

  18. #18
    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
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  19. #19
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    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
    It's Spring here ;-P

    Gassho
    Anna

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Anna View Post
    It's Spring here ;-P

    Gassho
    Anna

    Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
    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
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  21. #21
    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

    Gassho
    Washin
    sat today
    Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
    Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
    ----
    I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
    and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

  22. #22
    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

  23. #23
    Thank you Kokuu.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Sat/LAH
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  24. #24
    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/om...808f89a94d.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

  25. #25
    I've just received my copy of A White Tea Bowl. Love it already!

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah

  26. #26
    I've just received my copy of A White Tea Bowl. Love it already!
    Wonderful!

    Gassho
    Kokuu

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