9-13: Since I wrote about non-attachment, I read this: “A certain recluse monk once remarked, ‘I have relinquished all that ties me to the world, but the one thing that still haunts me is the beauty of the sky.’ I can quite see why he would feel this.” The writer continued: “You can find solace for all things by looking at the moon. Someone once declared that there is nothing more delightful than the moon, while another disagreed, claiming that dew is the most moving—a charming debate. Surely there is nothing that isn’t moving, in fact, depending on circumstance.” A few sentences later: “Then there is Xi Kang, who wrote how, roving among mountain and stream, his heart delighted to see the fish and birds. Nothing provides such balm for the heart as wandering somewhere far from the world of men, in a place of pure water and fresh leaf.” (pp. 31-32) This is from Essays in Idleness by Yoshida Kenko, an early fourteenth century collection of anecdotes, observations, and commentary that is said to be considered a classic in Japan.
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