How does it happen?
I take this dried fish, your gift,
and go to the shore
and throw it into the ocean:
it rises and swims away.
- Tsukan (782-865)
Tsukan was an early Chinese Zen master from the Tang period. He emphasised the importance of being "at onesss with work". I do not know the appropriate kanji for this but possibly it could be 無事.
Image:
Top: Smoked and dried fish hung out in the open at Manhari along Mahendra Rajmarg, Nepal 15 January 2011
Bottom: Grilled fish in Tokyo April 2012
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI am a Japanese translater and happen to look for this original poem!
Do you know where I can find it or do you know the kanji of Tsukan?
My email address is mari_hagihara@hotmail.com
Thank you so much.
Mari Hagihara