~
Other Ryokan Poems
“Keep your heart clear
And transparent,
And you will
Never be bound.
A single disturbed thought
Creates ten thousand distractions.”
― Ryokan
Down in the village
the din of
flute and drum,
here deep in the mountain
everywhere the sound of the pines
– Ryokan
~
“When all thoughts
Are exhausted
I slip into the woods
And gather
A pile of shepherd’s purse.
Like the little stream
Making its way
Through the mossy crevices
I, too, quietly
Turn clear and transparent.”
– Ryokan
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