| NOTA |
(★)(The poet Santooka (1882-1940) continued the tradition of the great Zen eccentrics into the twentieth century. He is admired in Japan for his free-style haiku and pursuit of a pure Zen life. His life parallels those of the earlier Zen poet-monks Ryookan and Ikkyuu, a life of simplicity and honesty, free from material possessions, set concepts, and social conventions.// Although Santooka´s life was in many ways tragic --an unhappy childhood during which his mother committed suicide, a failed marriage of his own, an overindulgence in sake wine-- his haiku had a vitality and, at times, even an optimism that, juxtaposed with the sadness of his life, have made him a popular figure among postwar Japanese.// The turning point in his life came when he was rescued from the path of an oncoming train in a suicide attempt and taken to a nearby Zen temple. Through Zen training, Santooka found new meaning in life. He was ordained a Zen priest at the late age of forty-four. From that time on, attached to no master or institution, he dedicated himself to the strict, spiritual life of a mendicant monk. Santooka led a life of extreme poverty, but by finally ridding himself of material and emotional encumbrances, he was able to set his spirit free to write haiku as he never had before.// ´Mountain Tasting´ offers a representative collection of over 370 of Santooka´s haiku to the Western reader for the first time. Santooka´s unadorned style and profound Zen spirit shine directly through John Stevens´s fresher, clear translations, accompanied by the romanized Japanese originals.// ◆John Stevens, born in Chicago in 1946, has been living in Japan since 1973. Ordained a Sootoo Zen priest in 1975, he is presently a member of the Buddhist Studies Department and aikido instructor at Tohoku College of Social Welfare in Sendai, where he lives with his wife and three children. Previous translations include ´One Robe, One Bowl : The Zen Poetry of Ryookan (Weatherhill)´ and writings of the Zen master Doogen.) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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