essays in idleness yoshida kenko

Tsurezuregusa (徒然草, Essays in Idleness, also known as The Harvest of Leisure) is a collection of essays written by the Japanese monk Kenkō (兼好) between 1330 and 1332.

Essays in idleness; the Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō ... Yoshida, Kenkō, 1282?-1350. Publication date 1967 Topics English literature, Japanese literature -- Translations ...

Zen Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō (c. 1283–1350) considers practical and philosophical matters great and small in Essays in Idleness which is a collection of fragmentary thoughts and musings. Idleness can mean laziness or inaction.

As Emperor Go-Daigo fended off a challenge from the usurping Hojo family, and Japan stood at the brink of a dark political era, Kenkō held fast to his Buddhist beliefs and took refuge in the pleasures of solitude. Written between 1330 and 1332, Essays in Idleness reflects the congenial priest's thoughts on a variety of subjects. His brief ...

Although traditionally translated as "Essays in Idleness," a more accurate translation would be "Notes from Leisure Hours" or "Leisure Hour Notes." Themes of the essays include the beauty of nature, the transience and impermanence of life, traditions, friendship, and other abstract concepts.

His collection of essays, Tsurezuregusa (c. 1330; Essays in Idleness, 1967), became, especially after the 17th century, a basic part of Japanese education, and his views have had a prominent place in subsequent Japanese life.