Chapter 10 : Japan, Matsuo Basho.

“Why am I here? » he asked, « As long as you breath you can be anywhere, you’re meant to be. » he answered.

For This time the journey of the wandered will be during the Edo period, the era which was well known for its cultural flourishing as the emergence of new arts such as haiku, the kabuki theater and what’s most fascinating is the birth of notable people.

The wanderer was lying down under a majestic gigantic oak tree with its canopy of branches and leaves, he was protected from the sunbeam, he seemed relaxed while a gentle breeze combined with the smell of grass and dewdrops was tickling his skin. Hearing the sound of the wind seemed for him as hearing the sound of the void; it was clear yet too disturbing which made him wonder and question himself all over again “why am I here”.

For the first time as a time traveler the wanderer felt too empty, just as a vessel filled with flesh and bones but not a soul, it’s uncommon for him to feel that way. For an instant everything seemed quiet, it was like nature telling him to focus on his inner thoughts, for an instant a specific man crossed his mind; someone whom he wanted to meet if he got the chance and here it is, that chance between his bare hands. He got up and he went to look for that person, it was not hard to find him since he was a well-known figure. When the wanderer arrived there was a small hut on the outskirts of the city in the middle of a vast expanse of green forest, through flowers, plants and trees that were growing thick, a fresh stream was running, here, was living that man; Matsuo Basho.

The wanderer stopped for a while observing Matsuo sitting in the Engawa, enjoying his Matcha whisked with hot water creating a frothy flavorful tea, watching the leaves as they’re falling. ”His actions were too simple yet too powerful,” said the wanderer to himself, when Matsuo noticed him, he said to the wanderer with a little smile on his face “You seem lost, young boy. I guess you need some words. Come and sit, let’s enjoy the weather.“

“You hit the bullseye; actually, I was looking for you” answered the wandered for the request.

The wanderer took off his geta and he sat there beside him and as Matsuo gave him a cup of Matcha he said “Master all I need now is guidance, the feeling in me that is seeking for something I don’t even know about. It is kind of frustrating. Lost is all I feel now“ Said the wanderer.

“Hmm…. lost!  It doesn’t sound bad to me. See young man, I lived for 60 years and I’ve felt lost at every start of a journey. I shunned company, my life was altered between traveling widely and living in a small hut in the middle of forest. The first time I felt that way was when I decided to quit my path as a samurai and find another purpose in my life. It was not that easy. But the feeling of emptiness and the way I see things made me observe more into the depth of my life “The journey itself is my home”.  And questioning is the beginning of finding the answer”. Matsuo paused and he took another sip of his favorite matcha. He closed his eyes while enjoying the melody of the bird’s twittering.

“I came from a time when life is too crowded, it comes with its own set of challenges and stresses. And these challenges can be daunting. A life in which following other’s steps is better than finding your own pace, people are more connected not through their minds and ideas but through more modern stuff. How can I have the way of life I want …Maybe it’s easy for you to say that but thinking about the transition of changing paths is much more overwhelming than the act itself. Hard to show satisfaction just by having brief moments. How can I find that peace and tranquility? « said the wanderer.

“I started writing haiku because I was hoping this could bring such a special mental state to my readers. I can’t ford, and I don’t believe in modern art plus the future of art, for the art’s sake.

For always I despised and abhorred the pretension. In my view, a good poem is one in which the form of the verse and the joining of its two parts seem light as a shallow river flowing over its sandy bed. My ultimate purpose of this lightness in my writings is to allow readers to free themselves and escape from the burden of the self, one’s own petty particularities, and all of this I found in nature. It’s not necessary to talk about such controversial topics and get involved in them like family dramas, love triangles or whatever it’s all about the simplicity at the level of the theme which I find in our mother nature”.

Matsuo Basho got up, took a fallen leaf and put it in the floating river. He stood there with his hands behind his back and he kept silent.

“It’s true I can’t deny the serenity I felt while lying down in the middle of nature but how could it be the key to change the way I live and think, how can I be engraved in thoughts, body and soul in the components of nature?” with an unsteady voice the wanderer asked.

 Matsuo kept looking at the leave as its floating on the water and he claimed his soothing words “It’s about merging with nature and clean world, giving the sensation of a clear-mind through the water, the trees, the sound of waves, the sunset equally to the sunrise….In addition to me being a poet, I wanted or even better I needed to choose the path of being a monk and one of the most important ideals in the Zen Buddhism is Wabi which means satisfaction with simplicity in austerity, the other one is Sabi which is the appreciation of the imperfection and as we combine these two you can find it in nature. That’s why it has always been my best source for reaching the Wabi-Sabi. Just like this fallen leaf, for a certain time it was a part of the tree and now it has become a part of the ground, maybe next time it will be a part of one’s food, who knows. See young man every corner of the world has been created for us, but it was meant for us to take the lead and observe more into its values. The loss of awareness of oneself allows you to break free from all the thrum of desires and the pressure that you’re living under. Always remember “Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of age, seek what they sought’. And as this freed me from all my glorious and melancholy nights, it can free you from the tyranny of glum moments.”

As Matsuo Basho was done telling his wise words, a teardrop fell from the wanderer’s eyes. Certainly for the wanderer those words were more than merely words for him, they were like requiem for his exhausted soul, the light to his darkened road. He got up and he said with a warm voice “I was meant to be here and it’s an honor to meet you and if I ever get the chance, I’ll always choose to drink matcha with you.“

The wanderer took his leaf and for the first time he felt that he was filled with serenity and satisfaction, and he was sure enough that the real journey begins every time he questions himself.

 WHY AM I HERE…

Written By : Nour Houda Melki.