I have read and saved this one, Jeffrey. Deep and transporting and deserving of a luxurious reread. I am midway through "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki. A main character, Jiko, is introduced as having made a vow to be a Bodhisattva Jizo, and you have just expanded and enriched my understanding of this wonderful read that I was already enjoying. When I finish, or maybe before, I will come. back to this post, lifted by the back and forth between the reads. Now I await the third reference to Bodhisattva Jizo that is bound to come my way.
Wow, Mary, I'm honoured by your careful reading and wonderful comments. Yes, the jizo seem to pop up here and there. A bit like the Hattifatteners from Tove Jansson's books. Somehow unsettling and comforting at the same time.
Jeffrey, I love all of this. Your wonderful narrative (just the right length), enhanced by the details you've selected and Basho's marvelous haiku, reinforces my desire to visit Japan. You've had such great experiences, and it's always a pleasure to read about them.
Thank you for your generous words, Maureen. For this trip, I felt honoured to have Basho, Milton and Hill accompanying me. They lent me words I wanted to share with my wonderful readers.
Fascinating, Jeffrey. Once more you highlight so much that I've been unaware of and would now like to know more about. The jizo with their tiny hats are especially moving and it's clever how you've drawn these fresh, bright connections to Milton. "The piles of stones do not represent paradise regained" is especially good.
Such a beautiful essay, Jeffrey. I’ve read it several times throughout the day. What a remarkable feat of the imagination to bring together Basho, Milton, the Killing Stone snd its accompanying legend, the jizo, crickets - what a mystery that Waley left out that chapter! - and to have all these trains running on parallel tracks. Love the contrast between your ride on the Shinkansen and the poet’s journey. “Basho walked.”
The jizo statues are so moving. I remember seeing the ones at Zojo-ji, dedicated to stillborn, aborted, and miscarried infants. The little hats and toys. I was not aware of their presence throughout the country.
Thanks for another crafted jewel, Jeffrey, which brought back many happy memories of Japan, Basho and Milton. I read Basho’s Long Road in English translation on a Shinkansen in 2019, travelling from Sapporo to Kyoto.
Jeffrey, what a rare pleasure to ramble through literature and life with you, savoring the parallels you find between the physical and written worlds, the epic vision of Milton and the intimacy of Basho. The haiku for the little girl underscores both the poet’s originality (wrinkles as an adult’s wish for a child) and the fleetingness of life when many children did not live to adulthood, much less middle age.
Thank you for your generous words, Rona and for sharing your own reflection on Basho’s poems. I guess the whole scene was a vision of the brittleness of existence. Fractured stones, tributes to the souls of departed children.
You are quite genius to meld together this tale Jeffrey! I don’t know Basho but Milton yes and the Killing Stone also I have read of in the past… perhaps in conjunction with Basho but sadly my aging brain does not recall…
I'm in Yamagata now. Yesterday, my interviewee mentioned that Matsuo Basho had spent quite some time here during his famous journey. Then I returned to my hotel room and, without knowing what you had written about, I felt the moment was right to read your essay.
I like these chance moments.
By the way, you can hear lots of crickets from my window.
So much here, Jeffrey. I especially love the way you lead us to Basho--and am wondering, hoping you've found Robert Hass, who leads us to him, as well, in his _Essential Haiku_ translations. Hass is a poet in my heart and I'll never forget meeting him when he'd come to a reading and had forgotten all his books. So, I must tell you that I had them all in my hands, held them up as he fumbled about looking for them and came to take them all from me.
I'm a little late to some of your recent posts, but am back now... xxoo
I could, as you do, go on. If you were just a little more famous, Jeffrey – or maybe you’re quite famous enough – one could earn a doctorate dissertating the ambulatory structure of a Jeffrey Streeter essay and how the path of the many non-killing stones it lays out to its destination will likely lead to a lovely ramada atop a hill made up of those stones, from which to contemplate a view of how all those stones made their gentle way to the top of the hill to form that ramada. And, then, the mind of the designer . . .
I enjoyed your jeu d'esprit, Jay! While the notion of someone studying my essays rather flatters them, I am delighted that you, with typical acuity, intuited the stones here to be the key structural device of the piece. Each section is another stone placed on a humble mound supposed to be a gesture towards Basho's "offering to ease the individual burden", as I call it. You are not only 'Il miglior fabbro' but also the best of readers. My thanks to you!
I have read and saved this one, Jeffrey. Deep and transporting and deserving of a luxurious reread. I am midway through "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki. A main character, Jiko, is introduced as having made a vow to be a Bodhisattva Jizo, and you have just expanded and enriched my understanding of this wonderful read that I was already enjoying. When I finish, or maybe before, I will come. back to this post, lifted by the back and forth between the reads. Now I await the third reference to Bodhisattva Jizo that is bound to come my way.
Thank you for sharing that lovely coincidence, Leslie. It brings me joy to hear it has enriched your enjoyment of the novel.
“A Tale for the Time Being” is worth more than one reading. So imaginatively written.
I utterly loved A Tale for the Time Being. Marvellous and moving read.
Wow, Mary, I'm honoured by your careful reading and wonderful comments. Yes, the jizo seem to pop up here and there. A bit like the Hattifatteners from Tove Jansson's books. Somehow unsettling and comforting at the same time.
Jeffrey, I love all of this. Your wonderful narrative (just the right length), enhanced by the details you've selected and Basho's marvelous haiku, reinforces my desire to visit Japan. You've had such great experiences, and it's always a pleasure to read about them.
Thank you for your generous words, Maureen. For this trip, I felt honoured to have Basho, Milton and Hill accompanying me. They lent me words I wanted to share with my wonderful readers.
Fascinating, Jeffrey. Once more you highlight so much that I've been unaware of and would now like to know more about. The jizo with their tiny hats are especially moving and it's clever how you've drawn these fresh, bright connections to Milton. "The piles of stones do not represent paradise regained" is especially good.
Thank you, Sue! I'm so glad you enjoyed this. There were lots of surprising and happy connections on this trip!
Love it, Jeffrey!
As always, beautifully written, seamlessly connecting pieces from different times and places, and, always educational (to me)!
Thank you, Yi!
Such a beautiful essay, Jeffrey. I’ve read it several times throughout the day. What a remarkable feat of the imagination to bring together Basho, Milton, the Killing Stone snd its accompanying legend, the jizo, crickets - what a mystery that Waley left out that chapter! - and to have all these trains running on parallel tracks. Love the contrast between your ride on the Shinkansen and the poet’s journey. “Basho walked.”
The jizo statues are so moving. I remember seeing the ones at Zojo-ji, dedicated to stillborn, aborted, and miscarried infants. The little hats and toys. I was not aware of their presence throughout the country.
Another magical piece. Thank you.
I feel so honoured by your generous words, Mary! I'm truly grateful.
Thanks for another crafted jewel, Jeffrey, which brought back many happy memories of Japan, Basho and Milton. I read Basho’s Long Road in English translation on a Shinkansen in 2019, travelling from Sapporo to Kyoto.
Thank you John. Sapporo to Kyoto is a long road indeed!
Jeffrey, what a rare pleasure to ramble through literature and life with you, savoring the parallels you find between the physical and written worlds, the epic vision of Milton and the intimacy of Basho. The haiku for the little girl underscores both the poet’s originality (wrinkles as an adult’s wish for a child) and the fleetingness of life when many children did not live to adulthood, much less middle age.
Thank you for your generous words, Rona and for sharing your own reflection on Basho’s poems. I guess the whole scene was a vision of the brittleness of existence. Fractured stones, tributes to the souls of departed children.
What a beautiful reverie
Thank you!
You are quite genius to meld together this tale Jeffrey! I don’t know Basho but Milton yes and the Killing Stone also I have read of in the past… perhaps in conjunction with Basho but sadly my aging brain does not recall…
I thoroughly enjoyed this journey… thank you.
Thank you, Susie. It was fun to do and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
How lovely and thank you for taking us on your travels with you. I loved the jizo in their little wooly hats!
Thank you, June!
I'm in Yamagata now. Yesterday, my interviewee mentioned that Matsuo Basho had spent quite some time here during his famous journey. Then I returned to my hotel room and, without knowing what you had written about, I felt the moment was right to read your essay.
I like these chance moments.
By the way, you can hear lots of crickets from my window.
Thank you for sharing that, Gianni. A lovely coincidence!
So much here, Jeffrey. I especially love the way you lead us to Basho--and am wondering, hoping you've found Robert Hass, who leads us to him, as well, in his _Essential Haiku_ translations. Hass is a poet in my heart and I'll never forget meeting him when he'd come to a reading and had forgotten all his books. So, I must tell you that I had them all in my hands, held them up as he fumbled about looking for them and came to take them all from me.
I'm a little late to some of your recent posts, but am back now... xxoo
Thank you Mary for that lovely anecdote! I've read Hass's poetry, though not sure about his translations. I will look out for them.
I just (re)read Meditation at Lagunitas and wow, what a poem. Thank you for taking me back to his work.
What a wonderful pilgrimage. Love the legend of Tamamo-no-Mae. And the jizo with their colourful knitted hats!
Thank you, James! The legend is a lot of fun.
"Narrow Road to the Deep North"
Basho
Geoffrey Hill
Comus
Milton
Illness
Crickets
Suzumushi
"The Tale of the Genji"
the Killing Stone
fractured stones . . .
. . .
I could, as you do, go on. If you were just a little more famous, Jeffrey – or maybe you’re quite famous enough – one could earn a doctorate dissertating the ambulatory structure of a Jeffrey Streeter essay and how the path of the many non-killing stones it lays out to its destination will likely lead to a lovely ramada atop a hill made up of those stones, from which to contemplate a view of how all those stones made their gentle way to the top of the hill to form that ramada. And, then, the mind of the designer . . .
I enjoyed your jeu d'esprit, Jay! While the notion of someone studying my essays rather flatters them, I am delighted that you, with typical acuity, intuited the stones here to be the key structural device of the piece. Each section is another stone placed on a humble mound supposed to be a gesture towards Basho's "offering to ease the individual burden", as I call it. You are not only 'Il miglior fabbro' but also the best of readers. My thanks to you!
Tushy! as we say in Peoria -- and pshaw.
I feel almost as if I were walking with you. Marvelous post, Jeffrey.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I'm glad to have you join me for the walk!