Beautiful autumn

Photos taken at Hiroshima University/撮影場所：広島大学

An Unknown Poem

An unknown poem that I like so much./個人的に大好きな詩。作者不明。

English translation/英訳: Charlottell

我问佛：为何不给所有女子羞花闭月的容颜？
I ask Buddha, “Why didn’t you give all the girls beautiful faces?”

佛曰：那只是昙花的一现，用来蒙蔽世俗的眼
Buddha says, “Beautiful appearance only stays for a short time, and it is used to blind the eyes of the earthly world.

没有什么美可以抵过一颗纯净仁爱的心
There is nothing more beautiful than a pure merciful heart

我把它赐给每一个女子
I gave pure merciful hearts to all girls,

可有人让它蒙上了灰
but some of them ignore it.”

我问佛：世间为何有那么多遗憾？
I ask Buddha, “Why are there so many regrets in this world?”

佛曰：这是一个婆娑世界，婆娑既遗憾，
Buddha says, “This is a world full of changes, changes equal to regrets,

没有遗憾，给你再多幸福也不会体会快乐
without regrets, no matter how much happiness you are given, you won’t be able to feel the joy.”　　

我问佛：如何让人们的心不再感到孤单？
I ask Buddha, “What should we do to let our heart get rid of loneliness?”

佛曰：每一颗心生来就是孤单而残缺的，
Buddha says, “Every heart is born lonely and imperfect,

多数带着这种残缺度过一生
and most of them live their whole lives with this imperfection.

只因与能使它圆满的另一半相遇时
Because when it encountered the other half that can heal its imperfection,

不是疏忽错过，就是已失去了拥有它的资格
most of the time they missed the chance carelessly, or they lost the qualification to own it.”　　

我问佛：如果遇到了可以爱的人，却又怕不能把握该怎么办？
I ask Buddha, “What if we meet the one that we are able to love, but afraid that we cannot grasp him or her?”

佛曰：留人间多少爱，迎浮世千重变
Buddha says, “Let the love that we leave for the world to meet the changes in the changeable earthly world.

和有情人，做快乐事
Doing pleasant things with the person you love,

别问是劫是缘
and do not ask if it is misfortune or fate.”　　

我问佛：如何才能如你般睿智？
I ask Buddha, “What should we do to be as wise as you?”

佛曰：佛是过来人，人是未来佛
Buddha says, “Buddha used to be a human being, and human being will become a Buddha.

我也曾如你般天真
I was as innocent as you.”

佛门中说一个人悟道有三阶段：“勘破、放下、自在。
Buddhism says that there are three stages for us to be enlightened: see through the world, relinquish, and ease.

的确，一个人必须要放下，才能得到自在。
Indeed, one can feel at ease if only one is able to relinquish.

Address Upon Joining the Asahi Shimbun/ by Natsume Soseki

　　　　　　　　　
Address Upon Joining the Asahi Shimbun by the great Japanese writer Natsume Soseki(1867-1916). First published on May 3, 1907 in the press Asahi Shimbun. Japanese text can be viewed at Aozora Bunko. /夏目漱石「入社の辞」（初出：『朝日新聞』、1907（明治40）年5月3日）。日本語の原文は青空文庫をご参照。http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000148/files/2673_6500.html

English translation/英訳: Charlottell

After I resigned from the university and joined the newspaper, everyone whom I met looked so surprised. Some of them asked me for the reason. And some of them praised that I had made a very big decision. I did not think that quitting the university and working for the newspaper was a strange phenomenon. The question of whether will I succeed in my new job in the newspaper or not, is fundamental from the very beginning. Anticipating something which will not succeed and turned the path that I have come along for the past more than ten years at once, is indeed a reckless idea. Even I myself was surprised about that. But if they were surprised at my abandoning a post in a prestigious place like the university and working for the newspaper, I would like them to stop thinking that way. University is perhaps a place where honorary researchers lodge themselves. After enduring for twenty to thirty years, they may become high-ranking government officials. They may also have other kinds of expediencies. By thinking that way, it is no wonder that university is a fine place. Regarding the candidates who climb into the Red Gate (main entrance of University of Tokyo) and try to crawl up the rostrum-- I do not know how many of them since I did not calculate, if I walk up and ask them one by one, it would be as many as it could kill all of my time. The fineness of the university can be understood by that matter. I cannot agree more on that as well. But what I mean is that I only agree on the matter that university is a fine place, but I do not agree on saying that working for a newspaper is a bad occupation.

If working for a newspaper is a kind of business, working for the university is also a business. If it is not a business, perhaps it is unnecessary to become a professor or PhD holder. And perhaps there is also no need to raise the monthly salary. There is also no need to become a high-ranking government official. Just like the newspaper, working for the university is also
a kind of business. If the newspaper is a low class business, then the university is a low class business as well. But the difference is only whether it is oneself who is running the business or the people up there are running the business.

I have been lecturing at the university for 4 years. Under a special command from the government, I was studying in the west(Britain) for 2 years, and I have been obligated to teach at the university for 4 years after my returning, and my obligation is precisely ended in this April. After fulfilling the 4 year obligation, if I cannot survive and make my living without the position, I would stick and hang on to it, and will not leave it even if I die. But suddenly I got an offer from the newspaper Asahi Shimbun. When I asked about my job in the newspaper, I was told that I only need to provide them some suitable literary works at the suitable timing. For me, as a person who considers literary works as my life, it is no other thing better than this, no other deal better than this, and no other occupation as honorable as this. It is not the time to think about whether I will succeed or not, and it is also not the time to rush madly and think about PhD holder, professor or high-ranking government official.

When I was lecturing at the university, the dog always barked and it I was very unpleasant. My poor lectures were to some extent caused by this dog. I do not consider whether it was due to the lack of my knowledge and so on. I feel sorry for the students, but since it was caused by this dog, therefore I hope that they would go to the dog if they have any complaints.

The most pleasant time I had was the time I read the new arrivals of magazines and so on in the reading room of the library. But since I was extremely busy, it was such a great shame that I could not utilize it as how I wished. When I entered the reading room, the librarians in the next room were always talking, laughing and fooling around recklessly in loud voices. They have greatly disturbed my simple habit. I once wrote to President Tsuboi (of the university), and wished with fear that he could make a judgment or do something about this, but he did not bother himself at all. Half of my poor lectures caused by this. I feel sorry for the students, but since the library and president are those who should be blamed, therefore the students had better go to them if they have any complaints. It is such a great annoyance if they think that it was caused by my lack of knowledge.

I was told by the newspaper that it is unnecessary for me to present myself at the company. I only need to work in my reading room and things are done. There are also many dogs near the place I live, I am sure that they will also make a lot of noise like the librarians. But it is nothing to do with Asahi Shimbun. No matter how unpleasant or how disturbing will it be, I can perform an interesting job in the newspaper. If an employee can work interestingly facing the employer, then it can be considered the real fineness.

As a lecturer I was paid 800 Yen per annum. Since I have many children and have to pay for high house rent, 800 Yen is just not enough to survive. I did not have other choices but to take up teaching in 2 or 3 more schools, then finally I managed to live my days. No matter how tough Soseki is, tiredness caused by all these hassles made me suffered from nervous breakdown. Furthermore I have to work for my literary writing. If someone says that we write just for the fun of it, I do not bother and will let him say it that way. But lately if Soseki does not write something, he does not feel that he is staying alive. Not only that. For the sake of teaching, or to cultivate oneself, if I do not read I feel ashamed to face the world. Situations mentioned above caused Soseki a nervous breakdown.

The newspaper does not allow me to earn by teaching. Instead I am paid to the extent that I will not face any problem in facing my daily living. As long as I can make a living with this, perhaps there is unnecessary for me to torture myself by teaching. Even though some one asked me not to quit teaching, I finally quitted it. The day after my resignation, I suddenly felt that my back was lighter, and I breathed in plenty of air into my lungs that I have never had before.

After resigning the school, I went to Kyoto for traveling. I met some old friends there; I went to the field, up to the mountain, temple and shrine. Those places were all more enjoyable than the classroom. The Japanese bush warbler started to twitter with its body up side down. I cleared my mind and breathed out the dust of the past 4 years from the very bottom of my lungs, I have to say that it happened by the virtue of working for the newspaper.

It is said that we are moved by the firmness of will or so and so. For the sake of Asahi Shimbun that offers a weirdo like me a suitable position in their newspaper, I would like to say that performing my best as a weirdo is a very delightful obligation of mine.