A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees
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- Create Date：2021-08-15 09:53:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Yoshida Kenkō
- ISBN：0141398256
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Summary
'It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。。。'
Moonlight， sake， spring blossom， idle moments， a woman's hair - these exquisite reflections on life's fleeting pleasures by a thirteenth-century Japanese monk are delicately attuned to nature and the senses。
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday。 Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics， with books from around the world and across many centuries。 They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan， from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe。 Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions。
Yoshida Kenko （c。 1283-1352）。
Kenko's work is included in Penguin Classics in Essays in Idleness and Hojoki。
Moonlight， sake， spring blossom， idle moments， a woman's hair - these exquisite reflections on life's fleeting pleasures by a thirteenth-century Japanese monk are delicately attuned to nature and the senses。
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday。 Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics， with books from around the world and across many centuries。 They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan， from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe。 Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions。
Yoshida Kenko （c。 1283-1352）。
Kenko's work is included in Penguin Classics in Essays in Idleness and Hojoki。
Reviews
Casey Hughes
，
10-15% of this I found touching and beautiful， but otherwise it was a pretty disappointing read。 I expected it to be full of wise observations on nature and life from a zen Buddhist perspective but most of it was just off-putting or banal。
Kaat Vandenbroeck
，
Een klein boekje over mortaliteit en hoe daarnaar leven。 Vooral mooie metaforen en allegorieën！
suzy
，
4。5☆This book hits home。~"It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。"~"If you constantly regret life's passing， even a thousand long years will seem but the dream of a night。" 4。5☆This book hits home。~"It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。"~"If you constantly regret life's passing， even a thousand long years will seem but the dream of a night。" 。。。more
Juliana
，
This little book was lovely！ The writing was very pretty， and there were definitely some profound moments in there。 My only complaint is that the various pieces of advice the author gave on how to live a fulfilling and satisfactory life were sometimes contradictory。
meg
，
very small little book that reminded me a lot of haruki murakami’s writing style and i liked it！ only downside for me was the heavy emphasis on life and story-telling while critiquing others and their life experiences？ idk i’m bad at these but 3。5/5 ⭐️
Klára
，
2，5A diary of a bitter monk with few nice ideas here and there。 But mostly bitterness。
bella
，
there is legitimately something so sacred in the experience of connecting w/ someone who lived a near millennia ago through words that you might have guessed were written yesterday b/c of how relatable they still are。。。 it's the fact that i want to talk to this dude so bad and that i genuinely think we would get along。。。 the fact that despite everything people never really change and through the ages we are all privately taking note of the exact same little things in the massive continuity of da there is legitimately something so sacred in the experience of connecting w/ someone who lived a near millennia ago through words that you might have guessed were written yesterday b/c of how relatable they still are。。。 it's the fact that i want to talk to this dude so bad and that i genuinely think we would get along。。。 the fact that despite everything people never really change and through the ages we are all privately taking note of the exact same little things in the massive continuity of daily life。。。 the fact that in all this you come to know that the centuries are not nearly as far apart as they seem。 yea im crying dudein all of kenko's prescient anecdotes there is just one instance where i'm forced to disagree with him， and it's in the final sentence of this excerpt:"Writing this， I realize that all this has already been spoken of long ago in The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book – but that is no reason not to say it again。 After all， things thought but left unsaid only fester inside you。 So I let my brush run on like this for my own foolish solace; these pages deserve to be torn up and discarded， after all， and are not something others will ever see。" 。。。more
Sofia Kyriaki Kouloufakou
，
A journal of thoughts about everyday life， friendship， love， religion， death。 A pleasant read that makes yoy think of what is really important in life， of how much value can a conversation with somebody have， how focused we are at times in acquiring wealth and believing in superstitions。 I definitely reccomend it！
Bea Maureen
，
“It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。” —Kenkō ***More like a cup of overflowing wisdom！He is so wise！！ I could highlight the entire book because every word he says is gold。Maybe because he was a monk who had endless time to reflect。 I loved Kenkō's musings， even his opposing views offered food for thought。 It’s amazing how despite him living in the 14th century， Kenkō's words were relatable。 Timeless， really。 That’s the word to best describe him。My Top 6 fave quotes:1。 “It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。” —Kenkō ***More like a cup of overflowing wisdom！He is so wise！！ I could highlight the entire book because every word he says is gold。Maybe because he was a monk who had endless time to reflect。 I loved Kenkō's musings， even his opposing views offered food for thought。 It’s amazing how despite him living in the 14th century， Kenkō's words were relatable。 Timeless， really。 That’s the word to best describe him。My Top 6 fave quotes:1。 "A certain recluse monk once remarked， ‘I have relinquished all that ties me to the world， but the one thing that still haunts me is the beauty of the sky。'"2。 “We long to leave a name for our exceptional wisdom and sensibility – but when you really think about it， desire for a good reputation is merely revelling in the praise of others。 ”3。 “What kind of man will feel depressed at being idle？ There is nothing finer than to be alone with nothing to distract you。”4。 “In all things， perfect regularity is tasteless。 Something left not quite finished is very appealing， a gesture towards the future。 Someone told me that even in the construction of the imperial palace， some part is always left uncompleted。”5。 “If you can look on any sentient being without compassion， you are less than human。”6。 “ People steal from extremity。 There will be no end to crime while the world is not governed well， and men suffer from cold and starvation。 It is cruel to make people suffer and drive them to break the law， then treat the poor creatures as criminals。” 。。。more
luna
，
nenhum pensamento é indigno de zelo。eu fui convencida， durante muito tempo， de que a literatura se reduzia integralmente àquilo que eu conhecia。 histórias lineares， clímaces emocionantes。 nenhum espaço para monotonia e insignificâncias。 tudo precisava ser explosivo， escandaloso。 o resultado disso foi um mundo de ideias reprimidas， sentimentos coibidos e o mais profundo desamparo。 aquilo que por anos exercera no meu coração um papel libertador， então me acorrentava。 se ao escrever —， suponhamos， nenhum pensamento é indigno de zelo。eu fui convencida， durante muito tempo， de que a literatura se reduzia integralmente àquilo que eu conhecia。 histórias lineares， clímaces emocionantes。 nenhum espaço para monotonia e insignificâncias。 tudo precisava ser explosivo， escandaloso。 o resultado disso foi um mundo de ideias reprimidas， sentimentos coibidos e o mais profundo desamparo。 aquilo que por anos exercera no meu coração um papel libertador， então me acorrentava。 se ao escrever —， suponhamos， um livro， — eu devo me submeter a uma série de regras intransigentes， se tudo aquilo que eu considero essencial， todas as minhas experiências catárticas surgem de frivolidades， e essas são， por suas vezes， medíocres， onde está o caráter libertador da arte？ esse problema parecia incontornável。hoje， olhando para trás， posso apontar exatamente em que momento foi acendida a fagulha que fez com que esse inconveniente se alastrasse， e temo que milhares de outros jovens estejam atados pelas mesmas correntes， passivos diante da infinidade de portas que guardam as faces extraordinárias daquilo que a arte pode ser， suas imaginações completamente domadas pela irreflexão， confinadas， rendidas。são livros como esse que me possibilitam a concepção gradativa do universo que se esconde atrás de uma prateleira repleta das mesmas histórias， nos mesmos moldes， despidas de amor。em a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees， o monge yoshida kenkō divaga sobre assuntos que se estendem desde a inexorabilidade da morte （“be they young， be they strong， the time of death comes upon all unawares。 it is an extraordinary miracle that we have escaped it until now。 can we ever， even briefly， have peace of mind in this world？”）， até eventos de menor importância， mas que chamaram a atenção do homem por sua imparidade。 é uma obra acima de tudo poética， e da forma mais singela e distante da pretensão a qual já me expus。 kenkō narra de modo singular a cadência que une toda a beleza inexplorada da vida cotidiana， e sob sua luz tudo assume um aspecto sublime， como se a magia de cada experiência infinitesimal as fosse devolvida。o autor é， ademais， confrontado com um dilema que frequentemente me atinge quando escrevo， que ele não só expõe como soluciona no seguinte trecho: “writing this， i realize that all this has already been spoken of long ago in The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book – but that is no reason not to say it again。 after all， things thought but left unsaid only fester inside you。 so i let my brush run on like this for my own foolish solace”。toda ideia à qual dedicamos alguns momentos de reflexão， tudo que exige desenvolver-se num palco maior do que aquele que podemos oferecer dentro de nós é importante e válido o suficiente para ser escrito numa folha de papel。 o grande quadro da vida é composto por um milhão de pequenos traços que， uma vez isolados， parecem perder seu significado。 mas é apenas através da reflexão e da assimilação de cada fração de luz e cor que podemos entender de que forma o quadro veio a ser， e saberemos como， enfim， pintar os nossos。“it is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。”foi um prazer te conhecer。 。。。more
Julian Leu
，
I really loved this very random， stream-of-consciousness style selection of musings on life， nature， morals， reading， friendship et al。 Most of them feel exactly like Japanese art - simple on the outside， yet immeasurably meaningful and poetic deep down。 The author - Yoshida Kenkō - wrote this in 14th century Japan， after becoming a recluse Buddhist monk following a stint as officer of the guards at the Imperial Palace。 His thoughs seem grounded in his personal context - namely， his transition f I really loved this very random， stream-of-consciousness style selection of musings on life， nature， morals， reading， friendship et al。 Most of them feel exactly like Japanese art - simple on the outside， yet immeasurably meaningful and poetic deep down。 The author - Yoshida Kenkō - wrote this in 14th century Japan， after becoming a recluse Buddhist monk following a stint as officer of the guards at the Imperial Palace。 His thoughs seem grounded in his personal context - namely， his transition from a life that sought pleasure， to one where he decided to follow the teachings of Buddhism。Since the passages here are various and without a definite link between each other， I loved some， thoroughly identified with others， and was greatly amused at others。 Kenko's description and contempt for drunkeness is hilarious， and is followed by a very beautiful explanation on when appropriate moments during which to drink large quantities of sake are recommendable。 He then looks at the transient nature of everything - especially beauty - and how time and place leave a marked effect on the aforementioned transience， how it evolves and changes。As a hermit， he clearly spent a long time in nature， and showcases a fine， sensitive appreciation of its beauty， which he evokes through a very refined simplicity。 He looks at nature by virtue of association with certain meaningul life events （e。g。 admiring the bright dawn and dewy grass when returning home after a night of love）， and making sense of seemingly contradictory philosophies by relating them to personal feelings， thus presenting nature through the lens of human consciousness: "And so， wathcing the new year dawn in the sky， you are stirred by a sense of utter newness， although the sky looks no different from yesterday's"。 He likewise speaks against materialism， gossip and animal cruelty， and advocates for meditation and idleness， which are to be expected due to his Buddhist worldview。 I also found two other very interesting things。 One is that he admires irregularity， describing perfect regularity as tasteless， and thinking of something not quite fully finished as appealing， as it represents a gesture towards the future - and gives the Imperial Palace's unfinished sections as an architectural example。 The other is that he seems to have an almost empirical understanding of statistical signifiance， questioning the unlucky factor of Red Tongue Days， and stating that just as many unfortunate events happen on any given day。 He also very wisely remarks on the human character， and how they are less prone to mistakes in difficult tasks， but can fall victim to a lack of attention when performing the simplest tasks。All in all， I thought this little collection was really delightful， and I definitely want to get my hands on the full Essays in Idleness。 。。。more
Orinoco Womble （tidy bag and all）
，
These are excerpts from Kenko's Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō。 Another stellar translation from Meredith McKinney。 Kenko mentions The Pillow Book and other works of the time。 Unlike Sei Shonagon， Kenko was not writing for others to read; as he says， he enjoyed sitting before his inkstone just scribbling whatever came to mind。 One moment he condemns those who force others to drink more sake than they want and is "scandalised" by drunken behaviour， the next he talks about what fun These are excerpts from Kenko's Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō。 Another stellar translation from Meredith McKinney。 Kenko mentions The Pillow Book and other works of the time。 Unlike Sei Shonagon， Kenko was not writing for others to read; as he says， he enjoyed sitting before his inkstone just scribbling whatever came to mind。 One moment he condemns those who force others to drink more sake than they want and is "scandalised" by drunken behaviour， the next he talks about what fun it all is。 Several times he refers to the joys of absolute idleness， even sitting in a curtained room and imagining the beauties of spring or the full moon instead of going out to see them。 This is a Penguin "taster edition"， meant to whet your appetite for more， but many will be satisfied with the taste and then say they've read it。 Kenko's longer work is available under the title The Miscellany of a Japanese Priest。 。。。more
Aysu Saliyevska
，
Completely in love🖤
Mike Fowler
，
A whimsical look at life that is remarkably timeless。 Like all collections of aphorisms， best read slowly a few at a time。
James Bean
，
"If our life did not fade and vanish like the dews of Adashino´s graves or the drifting smoke from Toribe´s burning grounds， but lingered on forever， how little the world would move us。 It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。" In these excerpts from Kenko´s essays it´s all about lifestyle it seems。 All aspects of life， like friendship， love， heartache， death， feasts， religion， tradition， literature， nature and culture， are revisited consecutively in order to advocate a B "If our life did not fade and vanish like the dews of Adashino´s graves or the drifting smoke from Toribe´s burning grounds， but lingered on forever， how little the world would move us。 It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful。" In these excerpts from Kenko´s essays it´s all about lifestyle it seems。 All aspects of life， like friendship， love， heartache， death， feasts， religion， tradition， literature， nature and culture， are revisited consecutively in order to advocate a Buddihst modest way of life and to advise the reader to savour any moment， even the not so beautiful ones。 That is because Kenko seems highly conscious of human mortality and the evanescence of life and therefore desires to make the most of every moment。 As evanescence is something that troubles me personally， I find it moving that someone in the 14th century seems to have had similar emotions and I really liked the almost existentialist approach to this feeling。Other interesting aspects of this work are for instance the way Kenko references Japanese literature， folklore and traditions in order to distinguish Japanese from Chinese culture and advocate a Japanese way of life; or that criminality is approached as being the government´s fault， because they are responsible for the well-being of the citizens and therefore poor people are not guilty for stealing， if it actually is their last resort。 Furthermore， it is recommended that one should treat animals like human beings and engage more in empathy。 All those approaches are really interesting for the time and context they are situated in， the only thing about these excerpts that bugged me is the presentation of women as （un-）marriageable objects that have to be young and beautiful in order to be respected。 Other than that， I find it really remarkable how Kenkos ideas seem to be applicable to recent discourse and how beautiful these thoughts are expressed in words and images。 。。。more
Bianca
，
This book is pure perfection。
Nidhi
，
"What strange folly， to beguile the tedious hours like this all day before my ink stone， jotting down at random the idle thoughts that cross my mind。。。" The opening lines of this book kept me glued to the last page。 Insightful yet deeply melancholic， precisely what Japanese literature is known for。 The musings of a Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō is both poetic and intelligent while holding onto the reflecting， thought-provoking stance。 There are some amazing lessons connected to life and l "What strange folly， to beguile the tedious hours like this all day before my ink stone， jotting down at random the idle thoughts that cross my mind。。。" The opening lines of this book kept me glued to the last page。 Insightful yet deeply melancholic， precisely what Japanese literature is known for。 The musings of a Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō is both poetic and intelligent while holding onto the reflecting， thought-provoking stance。 There are some amazing lessons connected to life and learnings coming out of experiences。 A thread of familiarity overlaps with the honesty captured candidly。Taken from Tsurezuregusa （Essays in Idleness）， his most famous work， this little black book comprises little segments written out of idleness。 Every story is different from the other， following a stream of consciousness， ranging from nature， friendship， life to political and civil wisdom。 It's widely read and part of the modern Japanese curriculum。 Kenkō's #penguinlittleblackclassics are surely a fine addition to your Japanese collection。 。。。more
thy
，
it is natural to yearn over the falling blossoms and the setting moon
Sophie （RedheadReading）
，
This was an interesting read！ There were some really beautiful moments of reflection and some gorgeously evocative natural imagery。 It was also very contradictory at times and I have no idea whether that was deliberate or not！ For example， he decries social gatherings where sake is forced upon the guests and the resultant drunkeness， reminding the reader of the Buddha's teaching that drinking alcohol will lead to 5000 years without hands。 But then in one of the next extracts， he speaks about how This was an interesting read！ There were some really beautiful moments of reflection and some gorgeously evocative natural imagery。 It was also very contradictory at times and I have no idea whether that was deliberate or not！ For example， he decries social gatherings where sake is forced upon the guests and the resultant drunkeness， reminding the reader of the Buddha's teaching that drinking alcohol will lead to 5000 years without hands。 But then in one of the next extracts， he speaks about how wonderful it is in certain moments to drink sake with friends， to have a generous host single you out to top up your glass！ There were definitely a lot of his opinions that I find questionable， specifically in regards to women， but I definitely found this a really interesting selection of excerpts and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into this time。 。。。more
Andy Ohm
，
“It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。”This is precisely how I felt reading this。 It was as though I was listening to a brilliant old man share his wisdom with me， and oh how I enjoyed it！ The amount I will be able to quote from this book was quite scary。 Scary because I felt reading it， that I was able to really relate to the feelings expressed by Kenko even though he had lived a lifeti “It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。”This is precisely how I felt reading this。 It was as though I was listening to a brilliant old man share his wisdom with me， and oh how I enjoyed it！ The amount I will be able to quote from this book was quite scary。 Scary because I felt reading it， that I was able to really relate to the feelings expressed by Kenko even though he had lived a lifetime or two before my own existence。 It proves how some things in life are almost constant throughout the history of man。Kenko created many timeless conversations within this quick but brilliant read。 Death， fame， even the illusions of desire are talked about as though I was talking to an elder who’d really developed an opinion on life。 It never felt gnawing or frustrating but instead so many lines of direct and pure thought just made me think。 Lines like:“Nothing is sadder than the aftermath of death。” Or “All things of this phenomenal world are mere illusion。 They are worth neither discussing nor desiring。”I could go on and on。 I also love how it all ended with a retelling of a story between the writer and his father。 It really touched at the heart strings and also helped sum up the personality of the author himself。 This is a book for those interested in philosophy and/or those who like to listen to other peoples wisdom。 Id recommend this book to everyone。 Just because I loved it so much。 。。。more
~Madison
，
"it is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met" "it is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met" 。。。more
Andy
，
An excellent short piece of writing by a Buddhist monk on minimalism， sexual attraction， and Buddhism。 Would be a five star if it didn't have the subtle misogyny （it was written in the 12th Century so it is expected）。 An excellent short piece of writing by a Buddhist monk on minimalism， sexual attraction， and Buddhism。 Would be a five star if it didn't have the subtle misogyny （it was written in the 12th Century so it is expected）。 。。。more
Paula （lovebookscl）
，
Pensamiento de todo un poco。 Sobre el amor， la amistad， sobre la riqueza y los ricos， la sabiduría。 Sobre paisajes nevados y sobre rumores de otros pueblos。 Sobre historias de otros， sobre preguntas sin respuesta y mucho más。Disfruté mucho de este mini-clásico y me encantaría leer el clásico completo。 La frase que da inicio a este libro es maravillosa:"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never me Pensamiento de todo un poco。 Sobre el amor， la amistad， sobre la riqueza y los ricos， la sabiduría。 Sobre paisajes nevados y sobre rumores de otros pueblos。 Sobre historias de otros， sobre preguntas sin respuesta y mucho más。Disfruté mucho de este mini-clásico y me encantaría leer el clásico completo。 La frase que da inicio a este libro es maravillosa:"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met"Y en ese sentido， fue un placer leer sobre alguien que escribió sus pensamiento en el lejano siglo XIV。 Y por unos minutos desparecer del siglo XXI e imaginar otras tierras， en otro tiempo en la mente de alguien muy particular pero a la vez común。 。。。more
Imaniyah
，
I was initially attracted to this book because of its title and the image it evoked。 It didn’t fail to disappoint。 The book is a random collection of a Buddhist monk’s musings on matters such as love， life and death， social etiquette and nature。 Although there are certain thoughts that not everyone will agree with （such as his views on marriage and the kinds of friends you should avoid making）， I think it’s impossible to finish reading this book without having learnt something or empathising wit I was initially attracted to this book because of its title and the image it evoked。 It didn’t fail to disappoint。 The book is a random collection of a Buddhist monk’s musings on matters such as love， life and death， social etiquette and nature。 Although there are certain thoughts that not everyone will agree with （such as his views on marriage and the kinds of friends you should avoid making）， I think it’s impossible to finish reading this book without having learnt something or empathising with。 It’s a beautiful and elegant piece of writing that instils a sense of calmness within the reader。 These are some quotes I enjoyed: "In all things， perfect regularity is tasteless。 Something left not quite finished is very appealing， a gesture towards the future。" "What kind of man will feel depressed at being idle？ There is nothing finer than to be alone with nothing to distract you。""The changing seasons are moving in every way。Everyone seems to feel that 'it is above all autumn that moves the heart to tears'， and there is some truth in this， yet surely it is spring that stirs the heart more profoundly。 Then， birdsong is full of the feel of spring， the plants beneath the hedges bud into leaf in the warm sunlight， the slowly deepening season brings soft mists， while the blossoms at last begin to open， only to meet with ceaseless winds and rain that send them flurrying restlessly to earth。 Until the leaves appear on the boughs， the heart is endlessly perturbed。" 。。。more
Nana
，
It was a very interesting read。 Although it does give great insight on the author's thoughts on living simply， knowledge， life， and the likes， it didn't have that much impact to me as I thought it would。 It's a simple and light read。 It was a very interesting read。 Although it does give great insight on the author's thoughts on living simply， knowledge， life， and the likes， it didn't have that much impact to me as I thought it would。 It's a simple and light read。 。。。more
Linton
，
There are many sections of this work that I wasn't too interested in becauase they reference the teachings of Buddhism or Daoism， which I often times completely disagree with （probably because of many sympathy for Confucianism） or their scripture doesn't appeal to me。 Though there are rare parts where Kenko the person shined through and said things that I personally related。 These often brought a smile to my face， here are some of those below so:"I have been speaking of what it is to cling to on There are many sections of this work that I wasn't too interested in becauase they reference the teachings of Buddhism or Daoism， which I often times completely disagree with （probably because of many sympathy for Confucianism） or their scripture doesn't appeal to me。 Though there are rare parts where Kenko the person shined through and said things that I personally related。 These often brought a smile to my face， here are some of those below so:"I have been speaking of what it is to cling to one’s delusions and seek after fame and fortune。 All things of this phenomenal world are mere illusion。 They are worth neither discussing nor desiring。""What kind of man will feel depressed at being idle？ There is nothing finer than to be alone with nothing to distract you。""What a shame it is to hear someone declare that things lose their beauty at night！ All lustre， ornamentation and brilliance come into their own at night。" 。。。more
Antonis Maronikolakis
，
Nothing to say about this， really。 A pretty innocent little book with wishy-washy opinions。 Every once in a while， some of the imagery is nice， but that is it。 Quite boring， would not recommend it。
Diana
，
Musings without purpose。 I believe a good writing should have a purpose， either tell a story， or teach you something， not regurgitate impressions and half thought ideas。 I lost it when he surmised that you are not a man and incapable of feeling tenderness if you do not have a child， however you should take no wife because having a wife is cumbersome。 Musings without purpose。 I believe a good writing should have a purpose， either tell a story， or teach you something， not regurgitate impressions and half thought ideas。 I lost it when he surmised that you are not a man and incapable of feeling tenderness if you do not have a child， however you should take no wife because having a wife is cumbersome。 。。。more
zuzqaa
，
"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。"Selection of essays from Japanese buddhist monk。 Needless to say， you have to have an open mind while reading- it's written in 14th century， in totaly different circumstances。 Some of the essays are long overcomed， another still current。 It's quite funny how little people changed over the centuries。 But overall， writing is beautiful， I could easily "It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp， book spread before you， and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met。"Selection of essays from Japanese buddhist monk。 Needless to say， you have to have an open mind while reading- it's written in 14th century， in totaly different circumstances。 Some of the essays are long overcomed， another still current。 It's quite funny how little people changed over the centuries。 But overall， writing is beautiful， I could easily picture the cherry blossoms whirling in the wind around me， silent night on wooden verranda with a cup of sake and just watching the Moon。 。。。more
Marian Magsaysay
，