Yoshida KenkōRezensionen

Kenkō was a Kyoto courtier-poet who took Buddhist orders in 1324. He wrote these 243 short essays when he was in his early fifties, apparently mostly for his own amusement. They didn‘t become widely known until about two hundred years later, but once the book did start circulating, it became established as a minor Japanese classic, treasured for the way it sets out some core elements of the Japanese view of aesthetics, etiquette and religious life.

That aspect of the essays is very interesting to us, of course, a door right into the court world of 14th century Kyoto, but they are also a treasure for their sheer randomness. We get thoughts on the uncouthness of the younger generation, rants against the import of useless stuff from China, careful analysis of exactly how we should enjoy the beauty of moonlight or cherry blossom, anecdotes about priests who get their heads stuck in cauldrons or ox-drivers who get the better of fine gentlemen, as well as some very precise laying down the law about which kinds of fish may be carved in the presence of the emperor.

Kenkō can be delightfully inconsistent on occasion, too — there’s a piece where he goes on about the evils of alcohol for a couple of pages, violently attacking irresponsible people who force booze on their friends and reminding us how boring other people become when they are drunk — and then, mysteriously, he seems to have overcome his hangover and goes on to tell us how wonderful a social stimulant alcohol can be, and what fun it is to see a friend getting tipsy… Kenkō does sometimes come over as a bit of a Polonius, but most of the time he is endearing, witty (although even after 700 years of research, some of his jokes are apparently still quite opaque to Japanese scholars), and very enjoyable to read.

The late Donald Keene was, of course, second to none in the art of making Japanese culture accessible to Westerners: here he gives us a short, helpful introduction, a wonderfully lucid translation of what seems to be a rather difficult and often ambiguous text, and enough notes to give us a good sense of all the deep cultural allusions buried in Kenkō‘s writing.

This book is difficult to understand. Nary a paragraph goes by without encountering a word or phrase that means nothing to me without consulting the explanatory note, which are many and lengthy. Lots of credit must be given to the translator, not only for rendering a text written almost a millennia ago into modern English, but also for the copious research that must have been done to explicate the myriad of references that make up a huge portion of both the texts included in this volume. I must admit that my eyes sometimes glazed over, particularly when the writers recounted stories of emperors, various aristocrats, or monks, all of whom of course can mean nothing to me. This is obviously no fault of the authors or the translators, and simply a function of passing time and cultural differences. These moments were however worth it for the descriptive and philosophical passages interspersed within. Reading classic Buddhist texts as someone not well versed in the subject always surprise me in their piercing observations on psychology. The religious content here is in turns extremely practical (down to how one should arrange their house or what pets one should keep) and playfully contradictory. One passage in the Tsurezuregusa stood out to me in this regard. The writer starts off the section in a diatribe against drinking alcohol, describing the debauchery it leads to, the depression it invokes, the wasted day recovering from a hangover, and the punishment waiting for drinkers in their next life. However he immediate follows with this:

“Yet, loathsome though one finds it, there are situations when a cup of sake is hard to resist. On a moonlit night, a snowy morning, or beneath the flowering cherry trees, it increases all the pleasures of the moment to bring out the sake cups and settle down to talk serenely together over a drink. ”

The book is rife with ascetic recommendations that are contradicted in the next paragraph. Far from a flaw, it is this recognition of the duality of life that makes this stuff relevant hundreds of years later. The need to control hedonistic tendencies and stay focused on valuing your health and your time is balanced with the knowledge that there are occasions to break even strict tenets. To me, this kind of capacious understand of human psychology is needed to make any sense of what it is to lead a meaningful life.

It’s said that these two texts are classics of Japanese literature, and who am I to argue? I will say that in my opinion, the best sections take their place in the great Japanese genre of Iyashikei, slice of life works of art that encourage the very Buddhist practice of quiet contemplation and intense focus on the beauty of daily life. These impressions can be lost if one doesn’t slow down and pay attention. The great tragedy of our times is that this practice, difficult even in 13th century Japan, has become exponentially more difficult. One of the most haunting parts of this book was the repeated descriptions of wasted life and unpredictability of death. Without conscious practice, the precious, short existence we have on earth will zip by us with terrifying speed, and we will meet death bitter and regretful.

This small book is a selection of quotes from Essays in Idleness.

The writer begins the book with this statement:

What strange folly, to beguile the tedious hours like this all day before my ink stone, jotting down at random the idle thoughts that cross my mind …

We are then regaled with a selection of those random thoughts, and quite good thoughts some of them are too.

Although written approx 1330 in Japan, a lot of these thoughts are as relevant today in the wider world as they were back then.   Yes, admittedly, some might be a bit dated and endemic but there are some very timeless thoughts for the modern, wider world to enjoy as well.

There's also a delightful curmudgeonliness to the thoughts, like you're listening to your favourite grand parent having a rant about what's bothering them this week.

I shall certainly get a copy of Essays in Idleness and have a full read of Yoshida Kenkō's thoughts.

Il monaco buddhista Kenkō, avrebbe via via incollato le strisce di carta contenenti i singoli brani del libro sulle pareti della sua casa. Dopo la sua morte, altri avrebbero messo insieme tali frammenti, in cui molti lettori dovevano trovare quello che è forse il più essenziale concentrato dello spirito giapponese.

Makoto e’ dunque sentire, vivere immediatamente e attraverso i sensi le cose del mondo. E’ una forma di estrinsecazione dell’emotivita’ che, facendo perno sul cuore, ne manifesta i sentimenti in modo vigoroso, schietto e immediato.
…
Noi troviamo il makoto in Kenko in quel fascino che per lui hanno le cose antiche o che rievocano il passato, nella sua preferenza per la semplicita’, nel suo vivo interesse per gli antichi riti e consuetudini e per le antiche parole ed espressioni e, in senso piu’ ampio, in quella sua avversione per le persone invadenti che vogliono a ogi costo mettersi in evidenza, e contro le quali esercita la sua ironia. (203)

Mono no aware, vale dunque: il turbamento (aware) delle (no) cose (mono), cioe’: la commozione, la simpatia per le cose, gli altri esseri e la stessa natura ci ispirano. (204)

Il titolo Tsurezure-gusa e’ composto di due parole, … Il significato preciso del vocabolo tsurezure non e’ molto chiaro. Di solito viene reso con contemplazione, tempo libero, noia, ozio; ma sembra piuttosto indicare quella feconda beatitudine che riempie l’anima quand’essa e’ sola con se stessa, non turbata o distratt da altro, nel silenzio che la circonda. (209)

Nelle mie ore d’ozio, seduto davanti al calamaio, vado annotando giorno dopo giorno, senza alcun motivo particolare, ogni pensiero che mi passa per la mente, per quanto futile sia: e’ una cosa, questa, che mi procura una sensazione davvero strana, simile a una lieve ebbrezza. (13)

1 * Il lignaggio e l’aspetto noi lo riceviamo dalla natura: ma perche’ non dovremmo almeno far si’ che il nostro cuore diventi sempre piu’ saggio? (14)

13 * Non c’e’ cosa piu’ consolante che sedere sotto una lampada con un libro aperto e far conoscenza con coloro che son vissuti nei tempi passati. (19-20)

73 * Cio’ che in questo mondo viene tramandato e’ in gran parte frutto di fantasia; forse perche’ la verita’, in se’, non e’ mai particolarmente interessante. (53)

75 * Quali saranno mai i sentimenti di colui che vive in un ozio tedioso e melanconico? Stare soli, senza essere turbati da influenze esterne, e’ certo cosa gradita. Se si segue il mond, il proprio cuore viene facilmente traviato dall’impurita’. Frequentando la gente, la parola si adegua alle intenzioni altrui, non al proprio cuore. … Gli uomini sono tutti cosi’: corrono frenetici, e dimenticano la loro follia. (54)

Life is a well of delight; but where the rabble also drink, there all fountains are poisoned. (The rabble, xxviii, Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzsche)

91 * Cio’ che si e’ iniziato non giunge alla fine e cio’ a cui miriamo non si realizza, eppure i nostri desideri non hanno limite. Il cuore dell’uomo e’ instabile e tutte le cose non sono che illusioni. C’e’ qualcosa che rimanga, sia pur per breve tempo, immutato? (62)

105 * Nell’ombra del lato a settentrione della casa, dove la neve non sciolta era ghiacciata, stava ferma una vettura, le cui stanghe scintillavano di ghiaccioli. La luna dell’alba era tersa, ma qua e la’ v’erano angoli oscuri. Nel corridoio del tempio solitario sedevano sulla soglia di una porta un uomo, dall’aspetto distinto, e una donna. I due conversavano chissa’ di quale argomento, che sembrava non dovesse mai esaurirsi. Il modo con cui la donna inclinava il capo era segno di eleganza, e l’indefinibile profumo che emanava era delizioso. Quanto avrei voluto udire, sia pure in parte, cio’ che si dissero! (68-9)

108 * Nessuno in questo mondo conferisce valore all’istante. E’ forse per saggezza o per stupidita’? (70)

164 * Quando le persone si incontrano non stanno mai zitte un momento, hanno sempre qualcosa di cui discorrere; ma se si ascolta quel che dicono, si tratta quasi sempre di futilita’: voci senza fondamento, commenti benevoli o malevoli, … (101)

166 * Quando considero le cose per cui le creature umane si affannano, mi sembra come se, avendo costruito un Buddha di neve, esse fabbricassero ornamenti d’oro e d’argento e gioielli, e costruissero un tempio o una pagoda per lui. Potrebbe mai il Buddha di neve attendere la fine della costruzione?
Spesso all’uomo sembra che la vita duri eterna, e invece svanisce come neve e lascia molte cose incompiute. (102)

208 * Nel legare i rotoli dei sutra e’ stata sempre consuetudine avvolgere il laccio a croce, come nel tasuki, da sopra a sotto, facendone passare l’estremita’, tirandola per traverso, sotto l’incrocio, in modo da formare un cappio. (123)

211 * Non bisogna mai fidarsi di nessuno e di nulla, in nessuna occasione.
…
L’uomo e’ l’anima dell’universo, che non conosce limiti: come potrebbe dunque avere una natura diversa? Se agisce con larghezza di vedute e senza restrizioni, allora ne’ la gioia ne’ l’ira lo sfioreranno, ne’ le circostanze lo faranno soffrire. (125)

239 * Il quindicesimo giorno dell’ottava lunazione e il tredicesimo della nona sono dominati dalla costellazione Ro, che fa parte dell’Ariete. Poiche’ tale costellazione e’ straordinariamente luminosa, queste due notti sono particolarmente propizie per contemplar la luna. (142)

This is a miscellany. It is a collection of various thoughts and things and events that the author finds interesting. A journal basically, or a diary. Some of it was uninteresting to me though, and did not translate at all. Proper etiquette is discussed. What constitutes refined behavior, and other matters. He talks a lot about how this tradition has been performed during the time of this or that emperor.

Where the book shines is with regards to aesthetics. Yoshida shows a taste on things which is rooted on buddhist philosophy. Probably the best paragraphs in the book are the ones under the heading 'On Different Points of View," where the beauty of imperfect things are discussed. It begins:

"Is it only when the flowers are in full bloom and when the moon is shining in spotless perfection that we ought to gaze at them?"

From there it goes on a rather interesting sort of exposition, describing and praising refined behavior and condemning the unrefined behavior of some people.

The perspective is intimate (similar to the 'slice-of-life' genre in Japanese anime and manga), and might surprise you in how 'modern' the sentiment of the author is. It is a trove of information on the culture and behavior of people during the author's time.

My version is the 1914 translation by William N. Porter, and since I have no knowledge of Japanese, I cannot make any comment on it. This version is freely available online and I enjoin the reader to have a go at it, and read it in her Iphone or Android phone using an ebookreader while waiting for someone or going on a public commute in a train or any public vehicle, as she could find something of interest to her in it.

I wouldn't have picked this up if not for quarantine and it being a recommendation on this website. That said, there were some very humorous essays here, but I think this is mainly of concern to someone with more of an interest in medieval Japan than maybe I have.

A collection of interesting and idle thoughts, funny and strange stories, and beautiful and simple imagery. Some of the opinions given I found very odd and hard to understand, but considering when it was written that's hardly surprising.

I really enjoyed this collections variety.

A collection of interesting and idle thoughts, funny and strange stories, and beautiful and simple imagery. Some of the opinions given I found very odd and hard to understand, but considering when it was written that's hardly surprising.

I really enjoyed this collections variety.

I haven't read all that much east Asian prose, but I'm starting to suspect that I might over-identify with the overlooked-sensitive-and-ironic-scholar who is unable to find a position in the bureaucracy or hierarchy. Chomei's 'Hojoki' is a charming little piece about living the simple life and so on, but rather undermined by the fact that, in order to live the simple life, you have to be independently wealthy. Kenko's 'Essays,' on the other hand, are an absolute delight. There's nothing I like quite so much as people who are willing to hold their own most deeply held beliefs to the standards of their beliefs--here, that leads to 'kill the buddha' kind of things. I also like people who:

* like autumn rather than spring.
* pay attention to language.
* say things like "the testament to our birth in the human realm should be a strong urge to escape from this world. Surely there can be nothing to distinguish us from the beasts if we simply devote ourselves to greed."
* or "things that are not unpleasant in large amounts are books on a book cart, and rubbish on a rubbish heap."
* or "the best things are those that have a somewhat antique air, are unpretentious and are inexpensive but well made."
* or "if you run about the streets pretending to be a madman, then a madman is what you are."
* or "it is cruel to make people suffer and drive them to break the law, then treat the poor creatures as criminals."
* or "Phenomena and their essence are intrinsically one."
* list all the terrible consequences of drinking for a few pages... then say there's nothing quite so pleasant as drinking with a friend.
* being very intelligent, are aware of their own limitations, but do not therefore consider themselves to be as bad as everyone else.

If the world were rather more full of Kenkos, I'd be much happier in it.

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

If I ever wanted to read a complete collection of random thoughts, I would seriously consider a full edition of Yoshida Kenko's work. The short and long of it is clear, it seems like the author sat down and wrote down everything that came to mind, even if it is completely unrelated to the things discussed on the rest of the page.

I can not say that I enjoyed it. It was too random for me, and some part seemed very dated. Of course, considering it was written in the fourteenth century, it has aged considerably well. However, it was not for me.

This not withstanding, there were some lovely passages about books:
'It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met...'

Little Black Classics #11

Writing this, I realize that all this has already been spoken of long ago in The tale of Genji and The Pillow Book — but that is no reason not to say it again. After all, things thought but left unsaid only fester inside you. So I let my brush run on like this for my own foolish solace; these pages deserve to be torn up and discarded, after all, and are not something others will ever see. —Kenkō, Essay 19

...but it is above all the sensitivity to beauty and refinement of the old culture that embodies all things good for Kenkō. —From the Introduction

Chōmei's summary of the progress of his own life, from the fine mansion of his youth through a series of diminishing houses to the tiny 'brief dwelling' of his few final years, traces a trajectory that mirrors his slow realization of the truth of impermanence...As that end approaches with the end of Hōjōki itself, even this hut is cast away at the realization of the necessity of non-attachment, the lesson that lies behind the sermon preached by this work. —From the Introduction

__________
I knew nothing about these two works other than their titles, so I was pleasantly surprised when I thought they were much better than anything I was expecting.

The first work, Hōjōki by Chōmei, is a beautiful short work (~15pp) reflecting on the author's life, impermanence, and his commitment to Buddhism.

The second work, Essays in Idleness by Kenkō, are a series of 243 essays about all manner of subjects. Some of his favourite subjects are philosophy, aesthetics, anecdotes, and observations of people's behaviours. They show great variety, and range from lighthearted to more serious topics, and are incredibly easy to read.

The translations by Meredith McKinney are excellent, and rendered into a beautiful English.

(In fact, I discovered that the translator, Meredith McKinney, translated The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon for Penguin, and after comparing her translation with a copy that I own translated by Ivan Morris, I bought the former straight away and will definitely be reading from her translation.)

May I suggest reading this with some calm, atmospheric music that transports you to the heights of a Japanese Mountain playing queitly in the background, as I did?

I'm all for total immersion when experiencing a piece of art, and I don't usually listen to music whilst reading (usually rain/fire/ocean sounds), but I think Skyrim Atmospheres by Jeff Beal was a great match with these works.
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On flows the river ceaselessly, nor does its water ever stay the same. the bubbles that float upon its pools now disappear, now form anew, but never endure long. And so it is with people in this world, and with their dwellings. —Hōjōki

And so it is with the pelasures of seclusion. Who but one who lives it can understand its joys? —Hōjōki

How could I waste my days like this, describing useless pleasures? —Hōjōki

What happiness to sit in intimate conversation with someone of like mind, warmed by candid discussion of the amusing and fleeting ways of this world . . . but such a friend is hard to find, and instead you sit there doing your best to fit in with whatever the other is saying, feeling deeply alone. —Essay 12

It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met. —Essay 13

Some of today's poems could be said to achieve a nice turn of phrase here and there, but somehow they just do not have the old poetry's subtle flavour of feeling that resonates beyond words. —Essay 14

At times of quiet contemplation, my one irresistible emotion is an aching nostalgia for all things past. —Essay 29

The place is large, with an ancient grove of trees, and cherry blossoms drift down in the garden —Essay 43

There are endless examples of something that attaches itself to another, eats away at it and harms it. A body has fleas. A house has rats. A nation has robbers. A lesser man has wealth. An honourable man has moral imperatives. A monk has the Buddhist Law. —Essay 97

If you wish to follow the Buddhist Way, you should simply retire and make time in your life, and not let your mind dwell on worldly matters. This is the most important thing. —Essay 98

If you wish to be better than others, you should aim to excel them through study; by pursuing truth, you will learn not to take pride in your virtues or compete with others, It takes the strength conferred by study to enable you to relinquish high office and to turn your back on gain. —Essay 130

The man of quality never appears entranced by anything; he savours things with a casual air. —Essay 137

When people get together, they are never silent for a moment. They will always talk. When you listen to what they say, a great deal of it is pointless. —Essay 164

There is so much talking when people get together. It is exhausting, disturbs the mind and wastes time better spent on other things. —Essay 170

Remember, the Buddha teaches that those who lift the wine glass either to their own lips or to others' will spend five hundred lifetimes without hands. —Essay 175

As a rule, people should display no learning or art. —Essay 232

Thoughts of a Japanese artist from the early Middle Ages about the world, human relationships and the complentative buddhist way of life.½

The writing itself was good but the authors tone really put me off, I was excited to not be reading more poetry this evening and yet I almost felt like I was. The author is very vain and rather insulting to his subjects.

Apart from everything he says about women this book was insightful and still relevant today

Although only short, this volume of Yoshida Kenkō's random jottings of idle thoughts is thought-provoking and entertaining. Some of the stories made me laugh out loud at the simple explanations behind supposedly profound acts or seemingly wise words that caused a sagacious man to wax lyrical on their meaning. The passages that reflect on the transitory nature of life and the need to enjoy it without wasting time on the pursuit of meaningless fame or wealth are beautiful in their poetry.

This has been a disappointment. I suppose I was looking for more Buddhist insight, but what one gets seems unfocussed and all over the map. Notes on historical importance of each section would have been helpful, instead of the too brief and diffuse Introduction.

While there are some interesting and witty aphorisms in this collection (many of which I am collecting at http://commonplacereader.blogspot.com/) most of this book is really of interest to scholars of Japanese history only - they are not very relevant to anything else. Also, many of Kenko's ideas are very outdated, as his misogynistic musings show.½

Read 2019