… as i read about Plato in Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy the idea that one needs “leisure” to acquire wisdom… setting aside the idea that life experience of any sort supplies an important foundational element for wisdom, it occurs to me that if one attains the space for “leisure” as many do in retirement, then perhaps one should apply that space to studies and contemplation that might lead to wisdom… this seems to me to be what i am up to with my art, readings and contemplative practice… whether this has or will produce wisdom is not for me to say, but it does seem to be my intent… to understand… to be wise… what i would do with that should it arrive is another question too… as with my art work, so with my studies… make/do the work… something will come of it…

Basho On Poetry

… winding down to the end of The Essential Haiku…

The basis of art is change in the universe. What’s still has changeless form. Moving things change, and because we cannot put a stop to time, it continues unarrested. To stop a thing would be to halve a sight or sound in our heart. Cherry blossoms whirl, leaves fall, and the wind flits them both along the ground. We cannot arrest with our eyes or ears what lies in such things. Were we to gain mastery over them, we would find that the life of each thing had vanished without a trace.¹

Poetry is a fireplace in summer or a fan in winter.²

… Basho promoting Panpsychism?…

Every form of insentient existence—plants, stones, or utensils—has its individual feelings similar to those of men³

… Learn from the Pine has a lot of wisdom… it comforts me because in general, i follow its proscriptions, not perfectly, not even admirably, but i follow them as best i can…

Amos Bronson Alcott via Wikipedia

Human life is a very simple matter. Breath, bread, health, a hearthstone, a fountain, fruits, a few garden seeds and room to plant them in, a wife and children, a friend or two of either sex, conversation, neighbours, and a task life-long given from within — these are contentment and a great estate. On these gifts follow all others, all graces dance attendance, all beauties, beatitudes, mortals can desire and know.¹

… and yet, most of us struggle to get these simple things right… making it more complicated than it really is… or are we led by a social and economic construct that really doesn’t want us to realize how simple a matter human life is?… if we did, and we were content with it, wouldn’t we buy less?… the bet of consumptive society is that we won’t…