Merveilleux le chemin de Han Shan

by Hanshan

Han shan (9ème s.), fameux ermite zen, célébré par la beat generation, qui inspira même les Beatles (The fool on the hill). Han shan ("la montagne froide"), du nom de la montagne éponyme sur laquelle il vivait, dans une grotte, est l'archétype de l'ermite chinois excentrique, insouciant et illuminé. C'est sur des bambous, des arbres, des rochers et les murs des villageois qu'il a inscrit ses poèmes.

160 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2013

About the author

Hanshan was a Buddhist monk, poet, and spiritual writer who lived during the Tang dynasty. Little is known about his life, including where and when he was born, or even whether he actually existed. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Hanshan and his sidekick Shide are honored as emanations of the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, respectively. In Japanese and Chinese paintings, Hanshan is often depicted together with Shide or with Fenggan, another monk with legendary attributes.

It is said that he was a recluse who lived in a remote region, and that his poems were written on rocks in the mountains he called home. He is said to have written 600 poems, of which 313 were collected and have survived.

Reviews

[Dina Rahajaharison · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Je vois les hommes de ce monde, / perdus, arpentant les chemins de poussière, / sans comprendre ce qu'ils sont en train de faire. / Comment s'en sortir ? / Les jours fastes, combien en tout ? / Parents et amis ne sont proches qu'un court moment. / Mille mesures d'or ? / Incomparable, être pauvre sous un arbre."