“You should never put the new antlers of a deer to your nose and smell them. They have little insects that crawl into the nose and devour the brain” (Kenko 134). This is one of the hundreds of essays collected and compiled into Yoshida Kenko’s Tsurezuregusa, or Essays in Idleness. Kenko, a Japanese Buddhist monk, described these critically acclaimed essays as “random … nonsensical thoughts that entered my head” that were never intended to be shared with the others (Kenko 3). In these writings, Kenko expresses his thoughts and opinions on a variety of subjects, ranging from sex, money, and fame, to houses, beauty, life, and death. Essays in Idleness examines many facets of life through a Zen Buddhist perspective, providing valuable insight and
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Kenko believes a desire for money and fame brings calamity, disaster, and torment. He states that to chase money and fame is to “fret away one’s life without a moment of peace” (Kenko 34). For example, if a man is able to amass a fortune, and leaves the money to his heirs after his own death, the wealth will only be a nuisance to the heirs. Therefore, Kenko says, he advises to “throw away your gold in the mountains and drop your jewels into a ravine,” since such luxuries and riches are meaningless. Desiring fame is almost as foolish as desiring wealth. Kenko argues that men with high ranks or positions are not necessarily superior to men with lower ranks. Obtaining fame is meaningless and does one no good, so craving fame, like wealth, is foolish. In essay 74, Kenko reiterates his thoughts on the meaninglessness of pursuing wealth and fame, and states, “All that awaits them in the end is old age and death, whose coming is swift and does not falter for one instant.” Additionally, Kenko says men are deluded by wealth and fame, and describes worldly desires as intoxicating and foolish. This attitude towards money and fame is highly encouraged in Taoism. For example, in the text Chuang Zhu, Chuang Zhu writes, “people who are rich wear themselves out … this is a superficial way to treat the body” (Zhuangzi 111). Chasing after wealth and fame is a meaningless
Kenko believes a desire for money and fame brings calamity, disaster, and torment. He states that to chase money and fame is to “fret away one’s life without a moment of peace” (Kenko 34). For example, if a man is able to amass a fortune, and leaves the money to his heirs after his own death, the wealth will only be a nuisance to the heirs. Therefore, Kenko says, he advises to “throw away your gold in the mountains and drop your jewels into a ravine,” since such luxuries and riches are meaningless. Desiring fame is almost as foolish as desiring wealth. Kenko argues that men with high ranks or positions are not necessarily superior to men with lower ranks. Obtaining fame is meaningless and does one no good, so craving fame, like wealth, is foolish. In essay 74, Kenko reiterates his thoughts on the meaninglessness of pursuing wealth and fame, and states, “All that awaits them in the end is old age and death, whose coming is swift and does not falter for one instant.” Additionally, Kenko says men are deluded by wealth and fame, and describes worldly desires as intoxicating and foolish. This attitude towards money and fame is highly encouraged in Taoism. For example, in the text Chuang Zhu, Chuang Zhu writes, “people who are rich wear themselves out … this is a superficial way to treat the body” (Zhuangzi 111). Chasing after wealth and fame is a meaningless