In learning more about the remarkable life of the Japanese poet Bashō (1644-1694), I felt so connected to his journey and indeed his writing! Bashō is known as the father of the haiku and popularized the “hokku” (later known as haiku) as an art form independent of the “renku.” In Bashō’s haiku, undertones of Taoism and Zen are evident and I’ve included references to two books that highlight these connections further: “A Zen Wave: Basho’s Haiku and Zen” by Robert Aitken and “Matsuo Basho” by Makoto Ueda. (Both books can be checked out for free at archive.org) I end the talk with Bashō’s final haiku for your contemplation: On a journey, ailing — /My dreams roam about / Over a withered moor. Namasté. SelenaSage.com // email: selena@selenasage.com // Fb+IG: Selena Sage - Author // I dedicate this episode to my dear friend, teacher, and mentor Dr. General Marshall who shared his wisdom and kindness with the world so freely and whose light will be missed in this world, but now seen in the sky. Namasté.
