Saturday, December 18, 2010

Tao Te Ching Chapter 58-11 Kyoka (crazy song) hurts


Today's Tao

He is pure, but doesn't hurt anyone. (Ch.58)


白河の清き流れに魚住まず もとのにごりの田沼恋しき

[Shirakawa no kiyoki nagare ni uo sumazu. Moto no nigori no Tanuma koisiki]

(Supposedly composed about 1790 by the Kyoka poet Ota Nanpo 大田南畝 / Ota Shokusanjin 大田蜀山人 although he personally denied it)

No fish can live in the clear water of White River.

They miss the muddy water of good ole Paddy Pond.


This is a Japanese Kyoka 狂歌, which means "crazy song".

This Kyoka was popular under an austerity policy in the Edo period of Shoguns and samurai.

People could not stand the belt-tightening by the current minister Shirakawa 白河, White River, and were missing the preceding period of corruption governed by the former minister Tanuma 田沼, Paddy Pond.

Being pure is not always welcomed in the land of Geisha girls.

Nevertheless, let's be "pure" and courageous enough to tell your «emperor» that he is naked.

After all, everyone is part of your hologram and no one will be hurt.


«Related Articles»
-Dark Government 58-1
-Brilliant government 58-2
-Fortune = Misfortune 58-3
-Misfortune = Fortune 58-4
-Eternal cycle 58-5
-Criterion? 58-6
-Odd criterion 58-7
-Spooky 58-8
-Confused about time? 58-9
-Don't tear it! 58-10
-Kyoka (crazy song) hurts 58-11
-Straight = Bent 58-12
-Amida (Amitābha) shines 58-13
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 58


Tao answers your question!



☞The Edo era in Japan was an exceptional period of about 230 years without a war. Naturally, we experienced the urbanization of life and the emergence of a consumer society. People made love and were happy to talk about scandals and love affairs. Chikamatsu, Monzaemon was a Japanese Shakespeare who captured the heart and soul of burgeoning modern consumers in the world of samurai and geisha.

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