22 Jan
2020
Posted in: APP, Poems
By    Comments Off on Yes.

Yes.

Coolness —
the sound of the bell
as it leaves the bell.

***

Tathatā is the Buddhist concept of “suchness.” It is very similar to suññatā (emptiness) but derives from saying “yes” to the universe. There is really nothing to hold on to, yet there is something going on. The quality of suchness is like the reflection of ultimate reality. It is a mirage that reflects something real out there; only in this case, the reality is not out there, but it is in our minds. Suññatā and tathatā—emptiness and suchness—are the two sides of reality that we experience in sense-based daily lives.
— from Atammayatā by Piya Tan

***

poem by Yosa Buson (1716-1784), translated from the Japanese by Robert Hass

photo by Elke Smit on Unsplash

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