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Ryokan san and Tamashima Daruma
良寛さんと玉島だるま ― 歴史散歩



Ryokan is one of my best friends and teachers of the heart, and I hope he will become your friend too. His name can be spelled in many ways, like Ryoukan, Ryohkan, or Ryookan. He is one of the most well loved monk-poets that walked the roads of the poor of Japan.
良寛さんは私の心の友や先生でありますが、すぐにもアナタの友になるでしょう。

Ryokan (1758-1831) (Nickname: Great Fool、Taigu 大愚)
He lives on as one of Japan's best-loved poets, the wise fool who wrote of his humble life with such directness.
Ordained as a Soto Zen priest and certified as a master, Ryokan chose to express his practice of the Way through living as a hermit in the countryside, begging for his food as was done by the Buddha and His disciples in ancient India.
Ryokan had no disciples, ran no temple, and in the eyes of the world was a penniless monk who spent his life in the snow country of Mt. Kugami in Northern Japan. He admired most the Soto Zen teachings of Dogen Zenji and the unconventional life and poetry of Zen mountain poet Han-shan.

"Who says my poems are poems?
These poems are not poems.
When you can understand this,
Then we can begin to speak of poetry."

Ryokan never published a collection of verse while alive. His practice consisted of sitting in zazen meditation, walking in the woods, playing with children, making his daily begging rounds, reading and writing poetry, doing calligraphy, and on occasion drinking wine with friends. You can read some of his poetry on this HP.

Too confused to ever earn a living
I've learned to let things have their way
Too lazy to learn right from wrong,
I laugh at myself, ignoring others

http://www.yakrider.com/Poetry_n_Essays/Poetry/ryokan.htm

One of the things he liked best was to play with the local children. Playing hide and seek, he could stay hidden for days.



The leaves are falling
Just enough to make a fire

A gift of the wind!

Read more about his poems and life here.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/djampa/Jizo/ryokan/
http://www.one-bowl.com/english/ryokan2.html
http://members.aol.com/Riversleep/Zen/Ryokan.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/bluelifesavers/ryokan.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Campus/4178/Poemsofikkyubankeiandryokan.html
http://www.one-bowl.com/english/ryokan1.html
日本語:
http://www.geocities.jp/umezu34/Kouza/kouza210.html

http://ienaga-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/ryoukan/ryoukan.htm


He got his Buddhist name from his teacher, the Priest Kokusen at the temple Entsu-Ji in Tamashima, after many years of practise in 1790. His certificate said: "RYOO (meaning GOOD) seems foolish, but the road is very WIDE (reading: KAN)".
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/ryokan10-e.htm

Ryokan, who loved people and has been loved by generations of people since, seems to be telling us something even today.

He lived for 20 years in a small hermitage at the slope of Mt. Kugami 国上山(くがみやま)in Echigo province, Northern Japan. I visited this "Go-goo-An" (Gogo-An, 五合庵) many years ago, way up in the hills, quite far to walk to the nearest village to beg for alms. It is located in the precincts of the Temple Kugami-ji, but you reach it only after quite a lonely walk through the forest. It has just four walls and a roof and must be pretty icecold in winter, since this side of Japan receives a lot of snow every year. There is a spring nearby which is said not to freeze in winter.
良寛さまが約20年間五合庵に過ごした。国上山麓の乙子神社のわきにある草庵。名前の由来は、前に住んでいた偉いお坊さんが毎日五合のお米をもらっていたことから。

http://wnn1.niigata.isp.ntt-east.co.jp/english/tiiki/bunka/kajin/ryoukan.html
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/ryokan18-e.htm
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/ryokan17-e.htm
http://www.nhi.clara.net/bs0280.htm (Poems and Blues)
日本語:
http://www.at.wakwak.com/~mitsurin/ryokan.html
http://www.at.wakwak.com/~mitsurin/IMAGES/gogowanb.jpg
http://www.at.wakwak.com/~mitsurin/IMAGES/55wan1.jpg
http://www.robinhouse.co.jp/ryoukan-2002-1.htm
http://www.robinhouse.co.jp/ryoukan-20-gogouan-A.htm


Ryokan and the Nun Teishin 良寛と貞心尼

When Ryokan was 70, he met a nun named Teishin, and they fell in love. She was 28 and also a poet. They met rarely, but exchanged some of the most beautiful love poems in world literature during the three years they knew one another. When Ryokan was dying, Teishin was sent for and she held him as he died.
「くるに似て かへるに似たり おきつ波」
海の波はよせてくるかと思えば返り、返るかと思えばよせてきて、絶えず動いているように、人間も亦潮の満ちてくる時、此の世に生まれて来て、潮のひく時あの世へ行くと言われます。これ即ち「自然」であり「色即是空」とかねて覚悟はしておりますが、無常迅速まことに悲しい限りでございます。 正月六日 午後四時ころ 良寛は貞心尼の見守る中で、座したまま 大往生をとげた。
http://www2.tokai.or.jp/mm/
http://www6.shizuokanet.ne.jp/murakosi/R_T.HTML
http://www2.tokai.or.jp/mm/teishin.html


The dates of his life. 良寛の一生のデータ.
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/
のページで「良 寛 和 尚」を開いてください。

On the following HP you can see many statues of Ryokan in different parts of Japan, one is even a painting on a huge round gas tank!
良寛さんの像が日本中にあります。ガスタンクにもあるのはおどろきました。
http://www.at.wakwak.com/~mitsurin/ryokanzo.htm
Read about a lesson without many words which Ryokan taught his nephew.
http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/story/lessonryokan.html


There are two books with translations of Ryokan's immortal poetry.

http://www.buddhistsupplies.com/sabsother.htm
http://www.kensington-unitarians.org.uk/onerobeonebowl.html

Check out the Second-Hand Bookstore for these books.


Ryokan is well known for his fine calligraphy and he also painted for many purposes. One of the finest examples of Zen calligraphy ever brushed is a set of scrolls written by Ryokan for an illiterate farmer: i-ro-ha, ichi-ni-san (a-b-c, one-two-three), the beginning of the Japanese alphabet and the first three numbers in Chinese characters.
良寛さんが書も上手だし、絵もたくさん残しました。下の例には百姓さんにいろはや一二三を書き残した。

Read more about Zen paintings in this inspiring article of John Stevens.
http://www.zenpaintings.com/stevens.htm

Here are some more pictures of his calligraphy. 
良寛の書があるHPです。
遺 墨 1     遺 墨 2     遺 墨 3

Ryokan also painted a triangular Daruma, a doll made in Niigata prefecture. We will talk about this Daruma in his own story, but have a look at Ryokans painting right here.
良寛さんが三角の達磨の絵も書きました。三角だるまは新潟県の名物で、まだ別 の話に紹介しますが、まず良寛の掛け軸。

http://www.shuppan.co.jp/new/01harikoro/


Ryokan is quite international.
Ryokan College in Los Angeles, California カリフォルニア州にある良寛大学
The name stems from the name of a Japanese 18th century Buddhist renegade monk who left his order's path and moved to live near a remote village in western Japan where he spent the remainder of his life begging, living a Spartan existence, playing with the village children and becoming known for his love of nature and his beautiful poetically written insights about life. The monk, Ryokan, has been compared in temperament and message to America's Henry David Thoreau. The College has no affiliation with any organized religious thought, but its founder, Dr. Alvin P. Ross took the name in memoriam to his son who expressed deep appreciation for the monk's beliefs after taking Buddhist vows and being given the dharma name Ryokan.
http://www.ryokan.edu/online.html


Temple Entsuu-Ji in Tamashima  玉島の円通寺

Entsu-ji is famous for being the temple where renowned priest Ryokan,lover of children and noted poet and scholar,trained in his youth. The temple holds the Ryokan Festival and the Ryokan Tea Ceremony annually. Entsu-ji was founded by priest Gyoki in the 8th Century. It is set atop a hill surrounded by beautiful gardens with trees,camellias and azaleas in Tamashima, close to Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture.

http://www.pref.okayama.jp/syoko/kanko/kankohtml/e_s_bitchu.htm#entsuji
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~sirenita/kurashiki/kurashiki.htm(日本語)

Ryokan stayed at this temple from 1779 until 1791 and studied under the tutelage of priest Kokusen.
On the many charming pictures of the following story of his life at this temple you can have a glimpse at his training.
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/ryokan1-e.htm

You can also participate at early morning Zen sessions at the temple. Maybe you want to stay at the Ryokan-Villa (良寛荘).
http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/kankou/INF_e/HTL/01_e.html

The main Buddhist Deity at this temple is the Holy Kannon Bosatsu.
円通 寺・聖観音菩薩

Check out more about the Temple Entsu-Ji on the following HPs.
http://www2a.biglobe.ne.jp/~marusan/phentuj1.html (with many pictures of the temple)
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/
http://www.pref.okayama.jp/kurashiki/oide/tamashima.htm


Tamashima Good Luck Daruma 玉島福達磨

It used to be the only Daruma to make a wish (Gankake Daruma) without eyes made in West Japan, but now there are several others. They are made from a metal form, but also from forms made of wood, pottery, clay and stone.
This Daruma is made in memory of the famous Zen monk and poet Ryokan, who trained for ten years at the Zen Temple Entsuu-ji in Tamashima, as we have already learned.
名僧良寛が玉島の名刹円通寺で参禅修業している姿にちなむ玉島名物です。素朴にして古拙な民芸品は、民間信仰の対象としても広く愛されています。

http://www.optic.or.jp/HarenokuniOkayama/main/products/omiyage/minkogei/gangu.html
http://iwe.kusa.ac.jp/CRFT/MAN/daruma.html
http://www2.justnet.ne.jp/~u1cku/tamasima.jpg (Picture only)
http://www.netcy.co.jp/~TDaruma/DARUMA_1.HTM  (日本語)
http://www.pref.okayama.jp/kurashiki/oide/tamashima.htm (日本語)
http://www.darumaonline.com/da_text/d-kinki-new.html (Pictures)

Hoping for a better future, Kikue Ono and her husband made their first daruma doll after the end of the Second World War, and she has continued to produce these good-luck figures in the fifty years that followed. They produce 14 different sizes, the biggest one is about 75 cm and the smallest one just one centimeter. The head is big with a large white face and huge eyes. The eyebrows and the beard are painted in bold strokes. On the belly the Chinese character for good luck, 福, is painted in a golden letter.
Read an Interview with the Daruma Producer Mrs. Kikue Ono.

http://iwe.kusa.ac.jp/CRFT/ITV/daruma_itv_e.html

玉島港が深く入りこんだ所、阿賀崎の小野キクエさんが「玉島だるま」を作っています。 戦後、初代の小野一二さんが敗戦からの復興を願って作り始めたのが玉島だるまで、球形に近い形の「関東風の目なしだるま」です。もう1軒は、水島臨海工業地帯の中、乙島の「玉 島だるま・虎製造所」中桐一人さんが制作しています。掲載のだるまの、右が「玉 島だるま・虎製造所」の作品。また、中桐さんは、「張り子の虎」、十二支の張り子、面 各種などの郷土玩具を制作されています。現在は「虎作り」が仕事の中心になっているそうです。 
制作者:小野キクエ「小野一二商店」:倉敷市玉島阿賀崎1-10-48..TEL:086-522-2533
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~SA9S-HND/agal-966-2.html


Production of Tamashima Daruma and Tigers  玉島だるま虎製造所

玉島の祈願達磨は松山藩主水谷勝隆が新田を開拓するに当たり羽黒神社を守護神として常陸の下館からお迎えする際に等身大の達磨もともに還し開墾成就を祈願し見事玉 島平野開拓に成功した事に始まる。
爾来三百年「玉島達磨」として関西全域に亘り縁起物の表象としてく珍重せられた。名僧良寛が玉 島修業二十ヶ年間の精進を「玉島達磨」に託した事は一層この祈願達磨を有名なものとした。当家は徳川末期よりその製法を伝える家元で大方江湖の愛好絶賛を賜り度い所以であります。
いまやダルマもキュートなものに。赤やピンク、ブルーなどカラフルなボディに、表情もそれぞれが違う。一筆、顔やボディに書かれている言葉が面 白い。写真は今年の風水カラー「ベージュ」をモチーフにしたミニダルマ。
http://www.kurashiki.co.jp/daruma/
http://www.kurakibi.jp/funa_tama/shop/daruma_seisakusyo.htm (日本語)

While I was perparing this story, there was an artide in our local Sanyo Newspaper about the New Year preparations of papermachee Daruma in Tamashima. Next year are elections in the area, so Daruma will be very busy helping all the candidates to win. All the candidates? Well, if everybody buyes one and paints an eye while making his wish to win, what is Daruma going to do??? Toss a coin?
この話を準備中に山陽新聞に玉島だるまの記事がありました。新年や来年の戦況の準備で大忙しい製造所の皆様、ご苦労様。


Ryokan liked to play with a little string ball called Temari (手毬).
So here is one more picture of a Daruma Temari, made by some friends from Holland. The other one is at the top of this story. Some people in Holland make these nice Temari Daruma.
良寛さんが子供と遊ぶと手毬で遊ぶのが大好きだそうです。だるま手毬も有ります。オランダの友達が作っています。


While you are in the area, do not forget to visit kurashiki, Koraku-En in Okayama and Himeji.
せっかくここまで来ましたので、倉敷後楽園姫路にも見に行ってください。

Presented by Gabi Greve, GokuRakuAn, Japan, December 2002.
gokuraku@po.harenet.ne.jp


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