Kobayashi Issa’s The Spring of My Life

Sosaku-Hanga Printing Style

high-definition creative commons posters from Kobayashi Issa’s The Spring of My Life together with further information.

These storybooks are based on The Spring of My Life by Kobayashi Issa, which blend poetic haiku and tanka with prose to chronicle the author’s observations on nature, spirituality, and human suffering. The text features a variety of Buddhist-themed parables, including stories of a priest’s self-induced New Year’s tears and the tragic drowning of a young monk-in-training. Throughout the narrative, the author reflects on his own aging and isolation, drawing poignant parallels between his difficult life and the survival of a stunted chestnut tree. Additional entries explore the fragility of existence through accounts of supernatural vengeance, the innocence of the author’s young daughter, and the mistreatment of stepchildren in regional folklore. Ultimately, these sources serve as a meditative travelogue that seeks spiritual meaning within the fleeting beauty and inherent pain of the changing seasons.

PDF (195 MB)

 

01 The New Year

02 A Tragic Death

03 Heavenly Music

04 Life Ebbing Away

05-07 Visions of Nature

08-11 Suffering and Resilience

12 The Joys of Childhood

13-14 Losing a Child

15-18 Cruelty and Seclusion

19-21 Ageing and Transition

 

Kobayashi Issa’s The Spring of My Life

 

The posters and summaries were generated by
Gemini Notebook
under the direction of
Ānandajoti Bhikkhu

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