Welcome to a journey through the words and world of Matsuo Bashō! This collection gives us a window into the life and art of one of Japan's most revered poets. The centerpiece, "Narrow Road to the Interior" (Oku-no-hosomichi), is much more than just a simple account of a trip; it's a blend of travelogue, poetry, and spiritual reflection. But before we get to the journey itself, let's talk a little about the poet who took it. **Who Was Matsuo Bashō?** Born in 1644 in Iga Province, Bashō (originally Matsuo Munefusa) came from a low-ranking samurai family. His early life included serving in a samurai household, becoming a companion to the son of his master, and participating in linked verse composition. He even had a common-law wife who later became a nun. The sources hint at a period of personal searching and perhaps even some unconventional experiences, as Bashō later reflected on having once desired an official post and being fascinated by homosexual love. Around 1667, perhaps after the death of his friend and master, Bashō left his samurai life behind. This wasn't entirely unheard of, but unlike many who became monks or merchants, Bashō seems to have forged his own unique path. Some early accounts suggest he went to Kyoto to study. By 1672, he had reappeared as an editor for a volume of haikai, showing wit and knowledge. This success encouraged him to move to Edo (modern Tokyo). Life in Edo wasn't easy at first, and Bashō struggled between his ambition to be a great poet and the urge to give up. But poetry was deeply intertwined with his life. He continued to study and write, attracting students, many of whom, like him, had left samurai society. Bashō championed literature as offering an alternative set of values he termed _fūga-no-michi_, the "Way of Elegance," believing his life was bound together by art, free from strict religious or popular customs. In the late 1670s, his students built him a hut by the Sumida River. When a plantain (_bashō_) tree was planted there, the hut became "Bashō-an," and the poet took "Bashō" as his final, most famous name. This first hut burned down but was rebuilt. As his reputation grew, so did his circle of students. He dedicated himself to studying the Taoist text Chuang Tzu and Zen under the master Butchō. Bashō blossomed slowly as a poet, constantly learning and changing. His earlier work was competent but lacked the unique vision of his later years. His deep study of Chinese poetry, particularly Tu Fu and Li Po, along with Chuang Tzu and Zen, shaped his mature style. Around his forties, his verse transformed, becoming more his own, reflecting a vision steadied by Zen practice. - **Want to explore more?** You might wonder about the specific struggles Bashō faced balancing his artistic aspirations with the practicalities of life, especially after leaving his samurai status. Or, what specific aspects of Taoism and Zen particularly resonated with him and influenced his "Way of Elegance"? **The Journey of "Narrow Road to the Interior"** "Narrow Road to the Interior" records Bashō's epic journey north to the "Oku" region in 1689. The name itself, _Oku-no-hosomichi_, can mean "the narrow road within" or "the narrow way through the interior". It’s a profound title that hints at the dual nature of the journey – a physical trek and an inner exploration. The sources tell us Bashō had long dreamed of this trip. In the spring of 1689, he prepared by mending clothes, repairing his hat, and moving to a disciple's home before setting out. His companion was his friend and devotee, Sora. Travel was dangerous then, so Sora shaved his head and wore monk's robes, a tactic Bashō himself had used before, which could be helpful at checkpoints. Bashō, suffering from poor health, packed carefully, including extra nightwear and departure gifts (_hanamuke_) he couldn't bear to leave behind. They set out before dawn on May 16th (on the lunar calendar, the 27th morning of the third moon) from Ueno and Yanaka, amidst the cherry blossoms. The journey took them through many provinces, including Date, Kasashima, Miyagi, Dewa, Echigo, Etchu, and Kaga. They traveled mostly on foot, covering vast distances and enduring difficult conditions, like heavy rains and heat, which aggravated Bashō's health issues. The sources highlight the physical challenges, such as bony shoulders sore from heavy packs and sleepless nights due to leaks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Bashō himself admits to being tired, sick, and worried at times, especially crossing dangerous areas. Despite the hardships, the journey was also filled with moments of intense beauty and spiritual insight. The narrative in "Narrow Road" is not a simple day-by-day log. It's composed in _haibun_, a form combining short prose passages with haiku. Bashō wrote and revised this work between 1690 and 1694, reflecting on his experiences. The journey is presented as a pilgrimage, a "vision quest that concludes in insight". However, the source also notes that "there is no conclusion. The journey itself is home. The means is the end, just as it is the beginning. Each step is the first step, each step the last". This captures the Zen spirit of being fully present in the moment and the path. - **Want to explore more?** You could research the actual geography of Bashō's journey today. How do the places he visited look now? How does the landscape described in the text relate to the real locations? **Bashō's World of Poetry and Thought** To truly appreciate Bashō, it's helpful to understand the rich tapestry of Japanese and Chinese literary and philosophical traditions that influenced him. The sources provide a wonderful overview of this context. **Japanese Poetic Traditions:** Japanese poetry has a long history, with foundational works like the _Man'yōshū_ (late 8th century), which emphasized sincerity (_makoto_) and a direct, often "masculine" expression of emotion (_kokoro_). This early period also saw the beginnings of critical vocabulary, with essays on "poem diseases". Later, the _Kokinshū_ (10th century) introduced concepts like various poem types (suggestive, direct, parabolic, etc.) and further developed critical terms. It also institutionalized devices like the _makura kotoba_ (pillow word), a fixed epithet often allowing for double meaning, and the _kake kotoba_ (pivot word), a play on meaning linking two phrases, which became central to haiku. **Chinese Influences:** Chinese literary criticism, influenced by Confucianism, also played a significant role. Figures like Shen Yo, Lu Chi, and Liu Hsieh provided models for discussing poetry in terms of form and content, and introduced terms like _yu wei_ ("aftertaste"), which became _amari-no-kokoro_ in Japanese, signifying the resonance of a poem beyond its words. The study of Chinese language and styles became important among educated Japanese. Bashō himself deeply studied Chinese poets like Tu Fu, Li Po, Han Shan, and Po Chü-i, drawing inspiration from their lyricism, imagination, Zen spirit, and romanticism. Sugawara-no-Michizane's influence established Chinese _kanshi_ as a major poetic force, emphasizing scholarship and sincerity. **Philosophical and Spiritual Concepts:** Bashō's poetry is deeply steeped in Buddhist and Taoist thought, particularly Zen. - _**Co-dependent origination**_: A Buddhist idea that nothing exists independently, influencing Bashō's view of nature and the self. The seer and the seen are not separate. - _**Kokoro**_: Beyond just "heart," it means heart/mind, encompassing sincerity, conviction, and emotional truth. A poem must have _kokoro_. - _**Amari-no-kokoro**_: The "aftertaste" or resonance left by a poem, reaching beyond the explicit words. For Bashō, this often came from invoking nature. - _**Mono-no-aware**_: A poignant awareness of the transient beauty of the world and the pathos inherent in its inevitable disappearance. It's a direct emotional experience of temporality. - _**Yūgen**_: Meaning "depth of meaning" or "aesthetic feeling not explicitly expressed". It identifies subtleties and implications, later adopted by Zen to define "ghostly qualities". - _**Wabi**_: A principle blending spiritual prosperity through material poverty with an appreciation for things old, worn, modest, and simple. - _**Sabi**_: Related to _wabi_, it stems from loneliness (_sabishisa_) and signifies an elegant simplicity tinged with an undertone of aloneness or poignant awareness of temporality. Bashō sought to instill a sense of _sabi_ in his readers. - _**Karumi**_: Bashō's later principle meaning "lightness". He urged students to find beauty in plain, simple language by observing ordinary things closely. Bashō's artistic path involved integrating these various threads. He studied ancient poets like Saigyō, learning the importance of being "at one with nature" and the relative unimportance of mere personality. He believed, like a good Confucian, that the perfect word was necessary to reveal authentic experience, while also believing, like a Zen poet, that the real experience lay beyond the words. His Zen discipline, including studying under Butchō, helped steady his vision and allowed his poetry to become a natural outgrowth of his being and his journey. He sought a "natural spontaneity" that indulged no regrets. He learned simplicity from the Zen monk Ikkyū and the idea that each moment and creation is unique from Rikyū, a tea master. This reflects the Zen concept of "art of artlessness" (_mushin_), achieving composition without excessive "sensibility" or ornament. Bashō aimed for elegant simplicity (_fūga-no-michi_) in his mature style, rejecting bourgeois values and moving away from overly complex or frivolous forms. He elevated haiku from mere wordplay to a form capable of complex data, emotional depth, and spiritual seriousness, while retaining playfulness. His connection to Zen was so deep that "Zen is poetry; poetry is Zen" applied to his work, creating a "seamless union". Bashō taught his students to "seek what they sought" rather than simply imitate the ancients. His own studies were assiduous and attentive. - **Want to explore more?** You might investigate the relationship between the different aesthetic terms like _mono-no-aware_, _yūgen_, _wabi_, and _sabi_. How do they overlap, and how are they distinct? You could also delve into specific examples of Bashō's poems mentioned in the sources and see how these concepts are embodied in them. **Other Journeys and Later Life** The collection includes excerpts or mentions of other travelogues by Bashō, showing his enduring wanderlust. - **Travelogue of Weather-Beaten Bones (Nozaraishi Kikō):** This was his first travel journal, composed after a trip in 1684-1685. It has an undertone of pathos, perhaps due to his inability to attend his mother's funeral the previous year. It shows a strong influence from Ch'an (Zen) literature and reflects Bashō's struggle to connect fleeting moments with the eternal. - **Kashima Travelogue:** A brief record of a trip in 1687, notable for Bashō's use of simpler syntax and the Japanese phonetic syllabary (_kana_). - **The Knapsack Notebook (Oi-no-kohumi):** Written around the same time as "Narrow Road" (completed about 1691), this records a journey from late 1687. In it, Bashō reflects on the art of travel diaries, praising Tsurayuki, Chōmei, and the nun Abutsu, and striving to reinvigorate the form. He also famously states that the spirit moving artists like Saigyō, Sōgi, Sesshū, and Rikyū is one spirit. The notebook reflects on his own "windblown spirit" driven by a passion for poetry. - **Sarashina Travelogue:** The result of a short trip to view the moon over Mount Obasute. This trip includes a poignant moment where Bashō appreciates simple, gaudy cups more than expensive ones because of their context. It also contains reflections on the dangers of travel and the nature of human vulnerability. Bashō's later years continued his pattern of travel, writing, and teaching. He returned to his hometown, Kyoto, and the Lake Biwa area, often staying in small huts given poetic names like Genjū-an (Phantom Hut) and Mumyō-an (Nameless Hut). His health continued to be a challenge, and he also faced personal difficulties, including caring for his dying nephew and another woman and her children, which led to financial strain. He sometimes expressed frustration with the literary world and the ambition of other poets. Even towards the end of his life, Bashō remained dedicated to his art, advocating for _karumi_ and revising "Narrow Road". He saw his everyday poems as his death poem (_jisei_), reflecting his belief that his life and his art were inseparable. His very last words, laughing at flies, show a moment of Zen-like acceptance and observation. He was buried at Mumyō-an, a place he cherished. Bashō's fundamental teaching, according to the sources, was about the two ways of composing poetry: one natural, born from within, and the other through technique. But he emphasized that the "born from within" idea wasn't about self-originating; rather, his poems came from observing the natural relationships between people and things. His final instruction was powerful: "Follow nature, return to nature, be nature," seeing each day with fresh eyes because "Yesterday's self is already worn out!". His "Way of Poetry" (_kadō_) was singular, blending aesthetics, metaphysics, and daily practice. - **Want to explore more?** You could look into the concepts of _jisei_ (death poems) in Japanese culture and compare Bashō's approach to others. You might also research the specific locations of his later huts and reflect on how these simple retreats fit with his philosophies of _wabi_ and _sabi_.