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13 Words From a Zen Poet That Flawlessly Explain Nature
This poem by Matsuo Bashō on the interconnectedness of all things
Have you ever tried to capture on your phone the exact second when the sun melts below the horizon?
The photo is always a poor facsimile of the actual sunset in front of you. The best way to put the awesomeness of nature into words is to enter the realm of poetry.
Some of the finest words describing nature come from the Zen Buddhist poet Matsuo Bashō. He knew the precise spiritual impact his poetry could produce on the reader: calm and wisdom.
Bashō’s poems have a startling simplicity. Bashō wrote natural scenes to remind his readers that rocks, weather, water, flowers, stars, us — are ever-shifting, fleeting, impermanent.
Bashō traveled the back roads of the Japanese countryside with few possessions. He took note in his short poems the simplest moments in life and nature.
Today I came across this poem, which I haven’t read before. It’s only 13 words long, but how it moves.
“The temple bell stops. But the sound keeps coming — out of the flowers” — Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694).
It is a striking image of our interconnectedness on the planet — beyond sound and vision. The…
