Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō by Yoshida KenkōMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Perfect for night-time reading. Relaxing, enlightening and interesting thoughts by a 14th century Japanese monk.
Some of my notes:
"They call liquor the chief of all medicines, but it is, in fact, the origin of all sicknesses. [...] As for the future life, liquor deprives a man of his wisdom and consumes his good actions like fire; he therefore increases the burden of sin, violates many commandments and, in the end, drops into hell. [...]. Though Liquor is as loathsome as I have described it, there naturally are some occasions when it is hard to dispense with. On a moonlit night, a morning after snowfall, or under the cherry blossoms, it adds to our pleasure if, while chatting at our ease, we bring forth the wine cups. Liquor is cheering on days when we are bored, or when a friend pays an unexpected visit"
(No. 175)
"Oshiki corresponds to the tonic note A. Interesting that this tone was used in both East and West for tuning"
(Note on No. 220)
No. 79.
The story about the monk getting his head trapped in a pot (No. 53) was pretty wild.
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