Tadami Yamada's English Haiku Poems (7)

     The anniversary of Kikaku's death                                                                                                                 A hazy moon is upon the bridg                                                                                                                     for another world 


    The anniversary of Kikaku's death

    The shadow of the bridge floating

    on the surface of the water　

 


    At the Temple of Acalanātha*

    Six petals white of which

    Magnolia flowers bloom


【*Note】Acalanātha* also known as Fudōmyōō or

Fudōson in Japan is one of the Buddha. Meaning of the

name is "No moving. Immobility". Word "acalanātha"

is a Sanskrit.

　　


　Saying "I came"

    To the grave, and on the road

    Magnolia flowers bloom


    Magnolia flowers bloom

    In the distance where the baby points

    In the babbling**


【**Note】According to my late mother, in the spring

shortly before I was one year old, magnolia flower

were blooming over the place where I, a baby held

by my grandmother, pointed them saying "high, high".

It was. A story about my grandmother boasting about

me, a baby, as her first grandson. Hahaha. ... And

there is a spledid magnolia that is about to reach a

hight of 4 meters.



    Pure white clothes

    Are taken off,

    Magnolia flowers scatter



    A white face that is thin

    And transparent to green

    Magnolia flowers scatter



    A cold flower weather today

    But I can't catch a cold

    Cause for COVID-19 influence　



    Weather cold flower

    The seater came out from bureau drawer

    Although that was once closed



    Cold flowers

    Something crept into

    New enrollment breasts



    I miss you

    Spring rain falling

    On Futarishizuka



    How is her?

    It's about Shizuka Gozen

    Disguised as a Futarishizuka



    The passing shadow

    Of incense on the sleeves

    The anniversary of Umewaka's death*


【*Note】

Umewaka-ki (The anniversary of Umewaka's death:

   Mokuboji Temple on the bank of the Sumida River 

is said to have originated from the small temple for 

Buddhist invocation which was built in 977 in the

middle of Heian period by Acharya Chūèn to memo-

rialize Umewakamaru. 

   The legend of Umewakamaru was created by 

Motomasa Kanze (1394/1409 - 1432) in the Noh

play "Sumidagawa (Sumida River)" during the

Muromachi period, and is still a popular Noh play

today.

   In the story, a mother, who kidnapped by her little

son Umewakamaru, wanders from Kyo to Musashi

Province in search of the whereabout of her beloved 

child. The mother goes crazy and eventually she

reaches the banks of the Sumida River in Musashi

Province. But the mother learned there that her 

beloved son had died.

   The memorial service for Umewakamaru was once

held on March 15th of Yin calendar at Mokuboji

Temple, but is now held on April 15th. It is a

seasonal word for haiku as "Umewaka-ki" or

"Mokuboji Dainenbutsu". 



    Cross the Shirahige Bridge

    To Mokuboji Temple*

    The anniversary of Umewaka's death



    Shadows on the water

    Seven bridges over the Sumida River**

    The anniversary of Umewaka's death


【**Note】

Seven bridges over the Sumida River:

   Ryogoku Bridge, Kuramae Bridge, Umayabashi

Bridge, Komagata Bridge, Azuma Bridge, Kototoi

Bridge, Shirahigè Brige.



          Hōnen-ki (The anniversary of Honen's death)


    Shikantaza meditation

    But only Buddhist invocation

    The anniversary of Honen's death　　



    Lockdown of COVID-19 influence

    Not only meditation, but Buddhist invocation,

    Does it? The anniversary Honen's death



    There is no one

    Those who go on a zigzag slope

    The anniversary of Honen's death



    Seeing the moon

    At in front of gate of the temple

    Honen's memorial service to visit



    The Honen's memorial service

    To walk quietly

    Zojoji Temple


【*Note】

Hōnen-ki (The anniversary of Honen's death):

   Hōnen (1133 - 1212) was the founder of the 

Jodo sect. He promoted Hinayana Buddhism, which

is easy for illiterate people to accept, rather than

the esoteric Mahayana Buddhism based on rigorous

training. He was not so-called "self-help application"

but the teaching of "other power application". He

just said that you eould become a Buddha just by

chanting the Nembutsu (Buddhist invocation).


【**Note】

Shikantaza is a meditation method taught by Dōgen 

(1200-1253) of the Sōtō sect. It is a teaching that 

enlightment can be achieved by simply cintinuing to 

sit down. It is a so-called "self-help application" 

because it awakens by self-training. Therefore, 

although it is the opposite of Hōnen's "other power 

application", I, Yamada think that they are saying 

the same thing after all.


【***Note】

Gyoki-mōdè is "To visit the temple on Hōnen's

memorial service on April 15th". It is the same

meaning of "Hènen-ki," also known as "Gyoki".


【****Note】

Zōjōi Temple is a famous old temple in Shiba, 

Tokyo. It has the history of 600 years. Every

year Hōnen-ki is held on April 15th at Zōjōji

Temple.

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