Essays in Idleness
Author: Chomei
ISBN: 9780141192109
Publisher: Penguin
Year First Published: 2014
Pages: 224
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 13mm
Format: Paperback / softback
Description
New to Penguin Classics, these two Japanese texts are timeless reflections on Buddhism, nature and the value of being idle
These two works on life's fleeting pleasures are by Buddhist monks from medieval Japan, but each shows a different world-view. In the short memoir H j ki, Ch mei recounts his decision to withdraw from worldly affairs and live as a hermit in a tiny hut in the mountains, contemplating the impermanence of human existence. Kenko, however, displays a fascination with more earthy matters in his collection of anecdotes, advice and observations. From ribald stories of drunken monks to aching nostalgia for the fading traditions of the Japanese court, Essays in Idleness is a constantly surprising work that ranges across the spectrum of human experience.
ISBN: 9780141192109
Publisher: Penguin
Year First Published: 2014
Pages: 224
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 13mm
Format: Paperback / softback
Description
New to Penguin Classics, these two Japanese texts are timeless reflections on Buddhism, nature and the value of being idle
These two works on life's fleeting pleasures are by Buddhist monks from medieval Japan, but each shows a different world-view. In the short memoir H j ki, Ch mei recounts his decision to withdraw from worldly affairs and live as a hermit in a tiny hut in the mountains, contemplating the impermanence of human existence. Kenko, however, displays a fascination with more earthy matters in his collection of anecdotes, advice and observations. From ribald stories of drunken monks to aching nostalgia for the fading traditions of the Japanese court, Essays in Idleness is a constantly surprising work that ranges across the spectrum of human experience.
