A Quiet Room: The Poetry of Zen Master Jakushitsu

by Genko Jakushitsu, Arthur Braverman (Translator)

A selection of the poignant, insightful poetry of fourteenth-century Rinzai Zen master Jakushitsu is accompanied by thoughtful excerpts from Buddhist scripture and writings, information on Zen practice, and diary entries. Original.

Genres: Poetry, Buddhism, Zen

101 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Eric Cartier · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this type of poetry is similar to blues music, in that I can only appreciate it in small doses, because otherwise its content and forms begin to blur together. I started enjoying the poems more when I took the book from my bedside table to work, where on my breaks I read by floor-to-ceiling windows with views of all kinds of trees, a slice of the Mississippi River, and huge Louisiana skies. Some poems resonated completely and made me acutely aware of the present moment; others drifted by like clouds, having no effect, leaving no impression. Either way was fine, all one and the same, right?

Sitting in the Mountains

Rock slab seat
legs folded
sitting alone

Not loathing noise
not savoring silence

The carefree clouds concur

[Don Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint with many of these Zen Master poetry/bio books is that they're too short, but I suppose that's in keeping with the Zen flavor. I enjoyed reading about another poet I'd never heard of before.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

some of the poems were a little weird, don't know if they were translated by the Arthur correctly but, it was a good and easy read