For this first translation into English of the work of Muso Soseki, the thirteenth-century Zen roshi and father of what we now think of as the rock garden, W.S. Merwin and Soiku Shigematsu have selected 130 poems and 6 sermons and dialogues. Spare, elegant, and subtle, the rock garden is as recognizably Japanese as haiku, the epitome of Japanese cultural refinement. Behind both these traditions lies the imperative of Zen Buddhism. Soseki was a great Zen teacher and poet who taught over 13,000 students. During his lifetime ...
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For this first translation into English of the work of Muso Soseki, the thirteenth-century Zen roshi and father of what we now think of as the rock garden, W.S. Merwin and Soiku Shigematsu have selected 130 poems and 6 sermons and dialogues. Spare, elegant, and subtle, the rock garden is as recognizably Japanese as haiku, the epitome of Japanese cultural refinement. Behind both these traditions lies the imperative of Zen Buddhism. Soseki was a great Zen teacher and poet who taught over 13,000 students. During his lifetime he founded fourteen temples, each one with a garden. His gardens, as well as his poems, effortlessly balanced convention and control with spry spontaneity. Soseki's resources as a gardener, his way of life, and his dedicated labor are beyond translation, but the heart of his teaching, his insight, and his imagination can be seen with clarity through these sublime, inspiring poems.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. First edition. Translated by W.S. Merwin and Soiku Shigematsu. Woodcut by Antonio Frasconi. Narrow quarto. 21pp. Fine. One of 200 numbered copies Signed by Merwin and Frasconi. Poems and sermons from the famed 13th Century Zen teacher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine in Fine jacket. First edition. Translated by W.S. Merwin and Soiku Shigematsu. Woodcut by Antonio Frasconi. Narrow quarto. 21pp. Printed wrappers. Fine. One of 200 numbered copies Signed by Merwin and Frasconi. Poems and sermons from the famed 13th Century Zen teacher.