While going through the Shiki archives taking bites from a Macintosh
apple known in Japan as Fuji ringo), I came across an important piece of
email addressed to me from Kuni H. Iwasa <iwasa@nih.gov>. He has posted
good questions, so please let me hasten to write here. He wrote:
a couple of questions:
About the first one. Although I am unfamiliar with Buddhism, it appears to
me that 'namu kanzenon' refers to an image of this deity rather than a
sutra.
Number four. I am wondering what is 'aoi yama.' Does this mean blue or
green? If the mountain is far away, it may be blue. If the mountain is
neaby, it must be green.
My answers:
(1) No. 1 Ku Pine trees
With branches all drooping--
Namukanzeon
sutra.
(Matsu wa mina/ eda tarete/ namukanzeon)
The note (Maegaki) that precedes this Ku: (Teihon Santoka Zenshu, Vol 1)
In Feb. 1925, I at last became a qualified priest and came to live
here at Mitori Kannon Temple in a remote place of Kumamoto (Prefecture,
Kyushu). Mine here is indeed a solitary life in quietude amidst the
mountains.
As the name of his temple tells, the deity of this temple is the
Kannon/Kanzeon/Kannon-bosatsu/Kanzeon-bosatsu (Avalokitesva Bodhisattva)
(All are the same). The first three Ku I posted had been composed at
this temple.
"Namu-" (Namas) or "Kie-" is a Buddhist prefix which means "salute, trust
and dedication to Buddha."
"Kanzeon" is the image of a Buddhist deity, which, incidentally, is
enshrined at his temple. If you say, "Mamu-kanzeon", it is a chanting
word, NOT the deity, of prayer when you worship in front of "Kanzeon" or
call for Kanzeon's help and compassion. Please note and compare the
following words of prayer before the deities other than Kannon:
Namu-shakamunibutsu (Soto Sect Buddha, Shaka-nyorai Deity)
Namu-myohorengekyo (Nichiren Sect Sutra)
Namu-amidabutsu (Jodo Sect, Amida-nyorai), etc.
[Note]
If I say in a nutshell the difference between "Nyorai" and "Bosatsu" in
the Buddhist hierarchy, Nyorai is the title of deities who have achieved
the Great Enlightenment such as Shaka, Dainichi, Amida, etc. Bosatsu is
the title of those who practice hard and walk towards the Great Buddha in
an attempt to achieve the Goal at the same time as they help others
attain Buddha's supreme aims, such as Kannon (Kanzeon)<Senju, Juuichimen,
Batoh, etc.>, Jizo, Miroku, etc.
Therefore, as seen here in this Ku, Santoka must have muttered and
uttered a word "Namu-Kanzeon" before the Kanzeon deity enshrined in his
temple, probably sweeping, walking, doing chores in the precinct.
Strictly speaking, Kanzeon-gyo/Kannon-gyo (gyo or kyo=sutra) is a very
long sutra musical and agreeable to the ear (let alone to the ear of
Kannon, which means "to behold the voice of people"), even though you
don't understand its meanings. (Personally, I learned this sutra by heart
in my childhood and still chant it every day.)
So with regard to my translation here; by putting "sutra" I meant to say
that "Namukanzeon" was the chanting word coming from the "Kanzeon
sutra". Now that it's all clear, please delete "sutra". As a matter of
fact, "Namukanzeon sutra" does not exist.
I must apologize to you for causing vagueness. "Manukanzeon(-bosatsu) is
surely a shortened package of prayer from the long "Kanzeon sutra".
If you are "visual", you can see the drooping pines, Santoka, the temple,
and the
"kanzeon-bosatsu" in the dark altar thereof. If you are "auditory", you
can hear the wind blowing through the pines, and Santoka reiterating the
chant "Namu-kanzeon, Namu-kanzeon". How do you feel?
[For Reference]
The pine branches hang down
Heavy with the chant:
Hail to the Bodhisattva of Compassion!
--Translated by John Stevens; MOUNTAIN TASTING P.33
(2) Kuni H. Iwata also wrote:
Number four. I am wondering what is 'aoi yama.' Does this mean blue or
green? If the mountain is far away, it may be blue. If the mountain is
neaby, it must be green.
No. 4 Ku: Getting further and further
Into the
mountains,
But still deep blue mountains.
(Wake itte mo/ wake itte mo/ aoi yama)
It's a well-known fact that Japanese cofuse "ao" (blue) with "midori"
(green) by using these two colors quite ambiguously. In the arena of
Haiku, if and when you say "green mountain" (midori-no yama), it has 6
syllables (one extra--Ji-amari). So Haikuists must say "blue" mountain
(aoi yama), which has 5 syllables and is rhythmically poised. For this
reason I translated "aoi yama" into blue mountains. But this may leave
something to be argued.
As you know, the adjective "aoi" has a triple meaning: blue, green, and
indigo. The same is true of the traffic lights: red, green and yellow
(amber). The younger generation tend to say green (midori) light,
whereas most adults say blue (ao) light, which is apparently incorrect.
This is a well-known discussion.
If you are Americans, please take for example the Blue Mountains in the
states of Oregon and Washington. I understand that they are so called
because they are densely forested and appear "bluish" when seen at a
distance. As to this point, Iwasa-san is right.
(3) SANTOKA'S GRASS TREE STUPA (5)
--Alone at Gochu Hermitage--
(Gochu Hitori)
[A correction]
Please let me change "Hitori" to "Ichinin". The meaning remains the
same, but the pronunciation is different. (On-doku) This four-character
phrase "Gochu Ichinin" stems from the Kannon sutra I mentioned above.
When we chant the sutra, we say that way. "Gochu" means "In there".
"Ichinin" means "One person or only one person".
Kannon-gyo says, "When you are at sea in search of treasures and caught
in a tempest, all of you will be saved from devils and dangers, if at
least only one of you there on the boat keeps chanting "the name of
Kanzeon" like "Nenpii-kannon-riki, nenpii-kannon-riki. (Praying for the
Kannon power)"
In a resonant voice you must let your repeated chants of prayers be heard
by the Kannon.
Rhythm is one of the principal translators between dream and reality.
Rhythm might be described as, to the world of sound, what light is
to
the world of sight. It shapes and gives new meaning.
---Edith Sitwell
I always bear it in mind that "translators could be traitors." Thank
you for reading this and wish you a happy haikuing.
Takashi