Essays in Idleness by Yoshida Kenko (July 2017)
Kenko's writings from 1330 and 1332 are collected in this apparently well-known Japanese classic. I initially overlooked this work despite coming across it a number of times over several trips to a used bookstore in Harvard Square. When I finally read the explanation (justification?) for this collection on the front flap- ..."Kenko, as he put it, 'having nothing better to do', turned to his inkstone..."- I realized the wisest move would be to familiarize myself with this long-lost ancestor of TOA.
One up: The collection is an example of a Japanese composition form known as zuihitsu (follow the brush). Kenko takes the reader from one thought to the next while subtly leaving a connecting thread of Buddhist thinking for the careful observer to note in hindsight. He does not limit himself to one topic, however, and opines on various trivial matters in addition to his larger thoughts about life and death.
Here are some of my favorite thoughts from the collection:
*It is a strange feeling to consider the amount of time spent writing.
*It is preferable to be alone if the alternative is a conversation with someone whose opinions you are afraid to contradict.
*Never refer to yourself in the process of addressing or evaluating another's characteristics.
*Unfinished business is, by nature, never going to finish.
*Those who crave novelty in everything possess only superficial knowledge.
*The difficulty of obtaining a good should not bear a relationship to how much it is valued.
*A real criminal commits a crime despite having a fair share of food and clothing.
*It is always nice to get in touch simply because it has been too long.
One down: How can I say anything even semi-negative about the great (great-great-great...) grandfather of this blog? I suppose some of his entries, being about specific people or places of his time, were hard to follow.
Just saying: Death frequently came up in this collection. Kenko's general stance is to accept death's role in life and plan each day with the prospect of death in mind. A person of this mindset will avoid wasting time on the type of foolishness which blots our days into one uninterrupted block of distraction. It also lowers the likelihood of making a common type of mistake: taking too much time to do what should be done right away.
Upon dying, the deceased's possessions remain. These items are indifferent to the owner's death and, if left unaltered, contain the power to transport the living back to familiar memories. The wise die without possessions; if such persons wish to pass an object on to a descendant, the transfer is made while living. Carrying out inheritance duties while living reduces ill-feeling among the survivors and lowers the chance of a future quarrel over a trivial trinket.
At the time of death, a temptation is to infuse the moment with ceremony and read significance into even the most banal comments. These considerations are all harmless unless they distract from the most important thought of all: a person's final hours should pass in peace and without agony. A good death is indifferent to symbolism.
