The lotus blossoms are out and they are amazing.
hasu no hana sukoshi magaru mo ukiyo kana
they bend too...
the floating world
—Issa
The floating world is a Buddhist idea that the world is imperfect and temporary, filled with pleasure and strong emotion, that come and go like dust in the wind. That may sound like a "enjoy it while it lasts" kind of philosophy, but it is closer to samsara, a word many of you may be more familiar with, the cycle of desire and rebirth that Buddhists want to escape from.
Issa returned to this theme in many of his haiku about lotus blossoms. That as beautiful as they are, they aren't perfect, making them a reflection of this world and of ourselves.
(if you missed it, see my post from yesterday where I shares a bunch of lotus blossom photos)
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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
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That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩