Hōjōki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hōjōki (方丈記) (sometimes translated as “An Account of My Hut”) is a short work written in 1212 by by Kamo no Chōmei. It describes disasters that befall the people of Kyoto from earthquakes to famine and fire. Chōmei becomes a buddhist monk and moves farther and farther into the mountains, eventually living in a 10-foot square hut.

The opening sentence of the Hōjōki is famous in Japanese literature as an expression of mujō (無常), the transience of this world:

Ceaselessly the river flows, and yet the water is never the same, while in the still pools the shifting foam gathers and is gone, never staying for a moment … (Sadler)

[edit] References

• Kamo-no-Chomei; Trans. Yasuhiko Moriguchi and David Jenkins (1996). Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World. Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-22-1. 
• Trans. A L Sadler (1971). The Ten Foot Square Hut and Tales of the Heike. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-0879-1.