A few weeks before leaving for Japan, a package showed up in the mail. I opened it, and it was a book. I took a close look at it, not remembering ordering it myself, but being very interested in the title, Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō -- Essays in Idleness. Sounded timely as I was about to begin a sabbatical -- and intriguing -- but I couldn't remember buying it, and had no idea where it would have come from. But then, examining the form in the package, I saw that it had been ordered by Liz Gill Neilson -- my very thoughtful and very perceptive daughter. She knows her father very well, and she wanted to be sure I came down from my otherwise somewhat frenetic pace of life and learn to appreciate the value of idleness. I think she figured that Kenko could help me to do that.Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness) is a well-known classic in Japanese literature, written by a 14th century monk by the name of Kenkō. Anyone taking the college entrance exams in Japan can be guaranteed at least one question on the Tsurezuregusa. Kenkō elaborated at length on the art of living for the Japanese, and his essays capture some of the mystique, some of the charm and the uniqueness of a Japanese aesthetic that is hard to describe, but so utterly characteristic of the Japanese way of being.
The title, tsurezure comes from the first line in the book:
つれづれなるまゝに、日暮らし、硯にむかひて、心にうつりゆくよしなし事を、そこはかとなく書きつくれば、あやしうこそものぐるほしけれ。
"What a strange, demented feeling it gives me when I realise I have spent whole days before this inkstone, with nothing better to do, jotting down at random whatever nonsensical thoughts that have entered my head" (where つれづれ -- tsurezure -- means “having nothing to do”).
Having nothing to do. I`m not sure Ben Franklin would approve, but it sounds like the recipe for a sabbatical to me. Kenkō was the original sabbatical blogger. And an encouragement for me to write down some of my own "nonsensical thoughts" now.
Turns out I'm having more challenges finding, and getting onto the internet than my idle lifestyle will allow. I walked about six miles into town today to learn that "there is no internet access in Shimoda -- not even the hotels." I didn't believe, so I kept asking until a young man standing on a streetcorner looking at his cellphone pointed me to an upstairs pachinko parlor where there was a computer sitting in the hallway. even this young hipster was not clear on the concept, but we booted it up, found a password (0000) and logged on -- and voila! up comes Internet Explorer. I'm hopeful!
But that was just the beginning. Ever try using a QWERTY keyboard that's keyed for Japanese characters? I had my first experience. It wasn't easy or fun. So now I'm back home, poking out the letters one by one on my AT&T 8525 smart phone. That's not easy or fun either. Nor does it fit with the virtues of idleness, about which I hope to learn more.
Back to the tsurezuregusa for now.
2 comments:
Maybe the concept should really be applied not to our whole self but to parts of our self. . .like the part that writes sermons can "do nothing" for a few months (or "write blogs" instead) while the part that "drives motorcycles" or "visits museums" or "roots for the Red Sox" gets exercised. I don't think our species was built to "do nothing" and it's hard for me to see what advantage that brings, but the part of "recreation" where we "re-create" can be stimulating and restful at the same time!
I am smiling from ear to ear having read your blog! I can see the walking six miles, I can see the guy on the street corner, I can see you sitting on the floor outside a Pachinko Parlor trying to get on the computer...maybe you could try a few rounds of Pachinko while you're at it! Missing you. See you on Sunday!
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