Review of Related Theories

Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. Our conceptual system thus plays a central role in defining our everyday realities. Lakoff, 2003: 4 Lakoff wrote that, the human experiences with physical objects senses especially our own bodies provide the basis for wide variety of ontological metaphors, that is, viewing events, activities, emotions, ideas., as entities and subtances 2003: 25. 3. The theory of the Zen philosophy Zen spread among Buddhist scholar, monk and warrior class or the samurai in Japan. The tradition of Zen is to practice the mind to be as calm and peaceful as possible and to free ones mind into the stage of enlightenment. Therefore, in his daily practice a zen monk should be one who understands concepts of Buddhism and its philosophy until its deepest roots for his advancement. In Zen, someone who learns the concepts of Buddhism and who learns sutra completely is not complete yet before he experiences enlightenment, therefore to reach the accomplishment of Zen someone has to leave the concepts behind, throw them away, leave all the concepts even put them in a damnation. This act means that even sutra and concepts in Buddhism are attachment that block someone to go to the experience of enlightenment. This act of putting aside the concepts is considered as part of the concept of Zen, the concept of non- attachment or egolessness. The Zen monk who is leaving the concepts that just cited may be an extreme act, but the spirit is there. Zen insists on handling the thing itself and not an empty abstraction. It is for this reason that Zen neglects reading or reciting the sutras or engaging in discourse on abstract subjects Suzuki, 1988: 5. There are three ideas of the Zen philosophy: a. Non attachment This concept of non-attachment is a concept to help to go further into practice which is practiced by meditation, or for Buddhist it is concept that is to be put into a practice, into life. In Zen, attachment is a barrier to enter satori or Buddhist enlightenment because every attachment is resulting ego, and egoistic mental attitude makes the Self cannot be realized fully to attain and reach enlighment. Therefore, somebody who wants to put himself in meditation should understand this philosophy Suzuki, 1988:5. b.The Enlightenment Satori is an enlightenment, and it is verbally transmitted, after somebody understands Buddha’s teaching and puts himself into meditation in appropriate period he will enter the conversation with his Master and the Master will help him to enter the satori. This philosophy, however, is not concerned to elucidate all these verbal complexity but to reach the mind itself. Satori finds a meaning hitherto hidden in our daily concrete particular experiences, such as eating, drinking, writing, or business of all kinds Suzuki, 1988:16. The Satori experience, therefore, cannot be attained by the ordinary means of teaching or learning. It has its own technique in pointing to the presence of a mystery that is beyond intellectual analysis. Life is indeed full of mysteries, and wherever there is a mysterious feeling, there is Zen in one sense or another. This is known among the artists as shin-in shen-yun or ki-in chi-yun, that are the spiritual rhythm, the taking hold of which constitues satori. Satori thus refuses to be subsumed under any logical category, and Zen provides people with specific method. D.T Suzuki explained Zen provides us with a specific method for its realization. Conceptual knowledge has its technique, that is, its progressive method,whereby one is initiated into it step by step. But this does not allow us to come in touch with the mystery of being, the significance of life, the beauty of things around us. Suzuki,1988:220. Without an insight into these values it is impossible for one to be master or artist of anything. Every art has its mystery. Zen becomes most intimately related to all branches of art, including Haiku. The true artist is attained satori by appreciating the spiritual rhythm of things mio Suzuki, 1988:221. c. The Impermanent Zen is thought of the impermanent of word. It has been explained by D.T. Suzuki, with the teaching of relativeness of situation, even freedoms are impermanent, all things compared are relatives, and the absolute Zen idea is that a man should realize it and free in his inner life 1988:220. The major philosophy of Zen are the three ideas including, Non attachment, Satori, and, impermanentliness. Things are conceptual and not intuitively to bring someone to satori. The idea that the ultimate truth of life and of things generally is to be intuitively and not conceptually grasped, and that this intuitive prehension is the foundation of Zen philosophy Suzuki, 1988:220. 4. Theory of Haiku The eminent scholar Haruo Shirane uses acombined approach in his Early Modern Japanese Literature book published by Columbia University Press New York. He has sections on “Composing Haiku” and “The Poetics of Haiku” and yet speak of Basho’s poems as hokku Bahmil, 2004: 5. Hokku are by definition poems about the current season written in a complete statement as the first starting stanza of Haikai no renga, or the complete form of Japanese classic poem. Hokku are stanzaz in alternating syllabic rhythms of 5-7-5. Haikai poets like Basho began to write hokku as semi independent verses and could be appreciated by themselves Bahmil, 2004: 5. What Basho has started is hokku, but Landis Bahmil used the Haiku as a term for refering to poetic form more generally. The twentieth century Western scholars and translators used the term Haiku for pre modern Hokku and modern haiku as he mentioned in his book. Besides Basho there is a famous Haiku poet named Chi-yo, She was also known as Chiyo-ni or Chiyo-jo.The suffix -ni refers to her becoming a Buddhist nun later in her life. The -JO suffix is often attached to the names of Tokugawa era women poets. She lived in 18th Japan 1703-75 Her birthplace was Matto now called Hakuzan City a small town near Hakusan one of the three major sacred mountains the others being Fuji and Tateyama. Matto is close in the better known city of Kanazawa in an area then called Kaga province. While most of her life was spent there she made occasional visits to nearby other towns and cities like Kyoto and Kanazawa to practise and study. However, I use the term haiku and the haiku tradition to refer to the poetic form more generally when I am referring to the long tradition that includes premodern hokku and modern haiku. And since haiku is the more familiar term, I have used it...Bahmil, 2004:5. In addi tion, Basho’s hokku now in modern culture both in Japan and the West is known as Haiku Bahmil, 2004: 5. According to Donald Keene in the book entitled Japanese Literature one obvious feature of Japanese poetry, which has been highly praised by critics, is its power of suggestion. In B asho’s poem, the falling of the cherry blossoms and the scattering of the autumn leaves are favourite themes because both of them suggest the passing of time and the brevity of human existence. There is a religious background to such poetry 1955: 28.

C. Review on the Biographical Background

Biographical background of Basho is needed to approach the Zen in the Haiku. The life chronology of Matsuo Basho, was portrayed in the same book translated by Bahmil. His life was a long journey of a poet who dedicated his life for the highest achivement on the art. Matsuo Kinsaku Basho was born in Ueno, Iga Province in 1644. In 1656 Matsuo Yozaemon, Basho’s father, died. He began to make poem in 1662 as his earliest poem. In 1666 Basho’s friend and fellow poet, son of his Lord, was dead. In 1675 Basho participated in a linked verse haikai no renga gathering with Nishiyama Soin 1605-1682, the founder of the Danrin school. By this time, Basho has students, including Sugiyama Sampu 1642-1732 and Takarai Kikaku 1661-1707. Sugiyama Sampu is a deaf haiku poet, who became Basho’s patron, and he devoted his life to support Basho economically www.DeafJapanNetworkatom.com. Takarai Kikaku was a Japanese haikai poet and one of the most accomplished disciples of Basho. Although he was a haikai poet, he was best known for his haiku. He wrote the final days of Basho www.famouspoetryandpoettakaraikikaku.com. Then, in fast development of his skill he participated two Danrin-style linked verse sequences, entitled Two Poets in Edo Edo ryogin shu in 1676. He continued to be a rising star in the Danrin school while he began to work at the waterworks department in Edo, it was 1677. Two years later, in 1679 he became a lay monk. In 1680, two major collections by his school were published, Twenty Solo Sequences by Tosei Disciples Tosei montei dokugin nijikkasen and Haikai Contests Haikai awase. He moved out to central Edo into a hut on the rustic outskirts in the Fukugawa district. In this time, his poetry began to reflect the emotional intensity and spiritual depth of Chinese poetry. In 1681, Basho’s disciple transplanted a basho banana tree at his hut. Before the year was over, the hut and the poet are known by that name. In that year also, Basho practices Zen under Butcho a master of the art 1642-1716. From this time Zen and also Chinese Daoism became influential in his poetry. Two years later, in 1683 the Basho ’s hut was destroyed by fire in January, while the first major anthology of his school, Shriveled Chestnuts Minashiguri, was pu blished. In August that year, Basho’s mother died. In September 1684, he began a long journey to the West that would give rise to his first travel journal, Journal of Bleached Bones in a Field Nozarashi kiko. During a visit in Nagoya, he led five linked verse sequences kasen that will be published as The Winter Sun Fuyu no hi. He visited his native village of Ueno to celebrate the New Year. After several other stops, he returned to Edo in the summer, it was in 1685. In 1686 He wrote the unfinished Critical Notes on the New Year Sequence Hatsukaishi hyochu. Then in 1687 he traveled to Kashima Shrine to see the harvest moon, which resulted in Kashima Journal Kashima kiko. He published Collected Verses Atsumeku, a selection of thirty-four of his Hokku. In late November, he setted off on long journey to the West, which resulted in Knapsack Notebook Oi no kobumi. In 1688, he travelled to Sarashina village to see the harvest moon, which resulted in Sarashina Journal Sarashina kiko, and then he returned to Edo in September. He left Edo in May 1689 for a very long journey to the north country and the west coast of Japan, which became the basis for The Narrow Road to the Deep North Oku no hosomichi. In 1690 he lived from May to August in the hut by Lake Biwa, and then moved to his native village of Ueno. He began to speak of his new poetic ideal of lightness karumi. He spent late May at the “Villa of Fallen Persimmon s “ In 1691 in the hills west of Kyoto, where he wrote Saga Diary Saga nikki. The linked-verse anthology Monkey’s Straw Raincoat Sarumino was published. In December he returned to Edo. In 1692 after many relatively quiet months, a new hut was built for him, and he became busy again as a haikai master. In 1693, Basho’s nephew named Toin that he had looked after for many years, became ill, moved in with Basho, and died in April. Basho began to take care of Jutei, a woman with three children. In August he closed his gate to visitors. In 1694 he began a journey to the southwest in June in poor health. Two anthologies of his school were published, The Detached Room Betsuzashiki and A sack of Charcoal Sumidawara. On November 28, while in Osaka he died Bahmil, 2004: 9. According to Bahmil, Basho’s Journey is a journey of a religious atmosphere, and the religiosity of Basho’s had expressed in his haiku. The journey that was done by Basho was a one of the cultures of Japanese people that called sabi. The sabi or loneliness is an experience of unity with the nature. The principal goal of Basho was to achieve a unity of feeling and scene. Basho’s sabi was a quality inherent in scene such as autumn evening as well as a feeling experienced by the refined poet Bahmil, 2004: 10. Bahmil added, that the experiences of Basho as guides for what can and should be experienced when people see bird, tree, or scene. In this way, Basho’s haiku suggests spiritual experience. Basho was similar to sages in Asian spiritual traditions who embody the experience of a deep insight Bahmil, 2004: 10.