Hanshan (poet)

Hanshan ,寒山, Hanshan, ( German: Cold Mountain, probably late 7th or 8th century ) was a Chinese poet of the Tang period. Hanshan is not to be confused with the Zen monk Hanshan Deqing, which in 16-17. Century lived.

Biography

The historical person of Hanshan is hardly tangible. As the only source for his biography, the collection of poems Hanshan shi serves ( German: Poems from Cold Mountain ). This consists of approximately 360 poems, of which 307 Han - Shan be attributed, and a short, but little reliable preface. The name Hanshan is a pseudonym, which was poet, as well as many Chinese Zen master, named after the mountain on which he lived, in this case, a mountain in the Tiantai Mountains in southeastern China, where the poet " from the dust the world " retired and where he is said to have lived in a cave. He probably lived in the late 7th century or 8th century, sometimes the 9th century is assumed. In the preface of Hanshan shi is mentioned that Hanshan his poems wrote on cliffs, rocks, trees or house walls, from where they were later collected and compiled into a book.

The poet

Hans Hans poems are characterized by timelessness and universality. Especially the poems from the time of his hermit life reflect deep meditative experience. Committed to the ideals of Taoism and Buddhism, the poet describes the difficulties and obstacles on the way of the Tao and the Zen Buddhist enlightenment. He also exercises, both with sadness and with biting sarcasm, criticism of society and their mindless pursuit of power and money. He urges to self-control and discipline, but without giving panaceas for one to " right living ". He makes it clear that every path is individual and has accordingly also go every man his way.

Hanshan and Zen Buddhism

Later generations recorded the image of Hanshan as " Dharma Tramp ", which touches ragged and wild through the country, unattached and free from obligations to others, laughing about anything and everything, even about themselves Several poems speak of the friendship of the poet with the Zen Master Fenggan and practice of meditative contemplation, and as many of the "Poems of Cold mountain" breathe the spirit of Zen Buddhism, they were particularly popular with followers of this school of Buddhism meditation. Thus the great Japanese Zen master Hakuin wrote a comment on the Hanshan shi. Also, pictures were painted over Hanshan by many Chinese and Japanese Zen artists.

Hanshan and the Beat Generation

Hanshan was a model for the writers of the American beat generation. Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac found their attitude to life in Hanshan shi again and identified with his social criticism after Gary Snyder had the poems translated into English. Since the poems of Hanshan describe their author as a man who lived outside the norms of a philistine society, this belief now corresponded exactly to the ideals of the Beat Generation.

An example of poem

Poem # 10

North of the city lived godfather Chung In his house there was always plenty of wine and meat Back when his wife died Was his hall bursting full of mourners Now the old man himself is gone gone Not a man came to mourn him - The emptied his cup and swallowed his roast What they do have a cold heart!

After translation by Stephan Schuhmacher