25 July 2005

A poem by Basho

Slender, so slender
its stalk bends under dew --
little yellow flower

—Basho, translation found on the link above

Certainly a reminder of how precious and fragile life is. But more than that, it is a beautiful image. As a taiji player, I see the 'stalk bending' as an exmaple of Sung (alert relaxation). The flower is not stiff and tense, fighting the extra weight. Instead, it yields.

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