The Three Thousand Worlds
that step forward
with the light snow,
and the light snow that falls
in those Three Thousand Worlds
that step forward
with the light snow,
and the light snow that falls
in those Three Thousand Worlds

1758-1831/JapaneseRyōkan was born in the village of Izumozaki in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture) in Japan to the village headman. He renounced the world at an early age to train at nearby Sōtō Zen temple Kōshōji, refusing to meet with or accept chari…
View profile & all 45 Poems / StoriesToo lazy to be ambitious,I let the world take care of itself.
you must rise abovethe gloomy clouds
Returning to my native village after many years’ absence:I put up at a country inn and listen to the rain.
today's begging is finished; at the crossroadsi wander by the side of hachiman shrine
With no mind, flowers lure thebutterfly;