"....it's always due to their dog hearts men don't ever get free."

"One day I left the mountains
and entered the city gate
and saw a group of girls
their noble and lovely faces
with flowered hairdos of Shu
rouge from Yen powder and oil
golden bracelets chased with silver
sheerest silks of red and purple
their rose-coloured cheeks were like an immortal's
their perfume trailed in clouds
the men all turned to look
infatuation darkened their minds
thinking the world had no equals
their hearts and shadows followed behind
dogs gnawing on dry bones
licking their teeth and lips in vain
not knowing how to reflect
how were they different from beasts
and now the girls are white-haired crones
old mean and ghostly
it's always due to their dog hearts
men don't ever get free."

The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain
translated by Red Pine
Copper Canyon Press (2000)

Thanks to Douglas for introducing me to these poems from Han Shan, a Chinese hermit and poet of 8th or 9th century CE.

This one has a lot to say about sexual desire. It seems to point especially to the male. I've no idea whether the Chinese means "man" or "person". Either way, the "dog hearts" of both men and women prevent them reaching freedom.

Impermanence and ageing apply to men and women and this is maybe THE key reality. Crones will see that the men go through the last two ages of man:

"The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,
His youthful hose well sav'd, a world too wide,
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again towards childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

William Shakespeare As You Like It Act 2 Scene 7

So impermanence will deal with everyone, folks.

I think Han Shan was making another point about the Buddha Dharma here (in addition to impermanence) and that's dealing with desire. His particular example of a feeling (of greed, lust, or whatever) resonates strongly for me. It's really important not to let our "hearts and shadows" follow the mind (darkened or otherwise) in these cases. You just have to let it go and not get caught up in the desire or other thought or feeling before "passion overcomes compassion" as some wise old bird said. And I reckon that's the only way to deal with it. In the here and now.

It's very hard, 'tho, however long you've been wrestling with it. It was the same then in Ancient China and it's the same now in Modern Europe.

Strive on mindfully, as the Buddha said.

A Beautiful Bright Frosty Morning in Leicester

A fine Winters day. The apples are being enjoyed by the birds and other wild creatures. The humans that live here have more than they can use or give away.

Contrary to appearances from the way the photograph was taken, I live in the house and have not yet been expelled to live in a tent in the garden.

Now to work for the rest of the day and to the Zen Group meeting in the evening.

Back Again After All This Time

That was an interesting six months or so. I've recovered from the strange and unidentified infection that kept me out of action for half of October and most of November. I missed most of the term as far as teaching and other University work was concerned.

Earlier, family highlights have included a week in Beadnell, a week in Zandvoort (again), having Kate back home, knowing John's enjoying a three month exploration of South America and our grandaughter Nathalie's second birthday in September. How she has grown in size, speech and inquisitiveness. The development of kids from 0 to 5 is nothing short of miraculous. I expect to be overtaken intellectually any time soon, being at the other end of the spectrum of life. And that's just fine.

Some progress on the projects of writing and learning Dutch (separately) but both a bit stalled now. Could it be because I've found Facebook or will any old distraction do? Well, I'm on here now and making excellent progress with reading Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy yet again............

Today, a picture of Ruby on the windowsill.

Who knows when or what the next entry may be?