Matsuo Basho was Japan's preeminent 17th century haiku poet. He lived from 1644 to 1694.
Originally raised as a samurai, Basho was introduced to the arts of Zen Buddhism at a very young age. Enraptured by the quiet grace inherent in Zen philosophy, Basho eventually chose to apprentice himself to the poet, Todo Yoshitada. Between 1684 and 1689, Basho made four travel pilgrimages with the purpose of seeking beauty for its own sake, sharing in the experience of beloved former poets, and finding ultimate enlightenment.
It was on Basho's third journey that he wrote the material for The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The book (a succession of 44 diary-like entries) begins with a prologue praising the poets of old, a Zen Buddhist practice of honoring the great men of one's past. It basically catalogues Basho's travels to the northernmost parts of Honshu (Japan's largest island), a fifteen-hundred mile journey from his home in Edo to Ogaki.
In his poetic work, Basho alluded to ancient shrines, Japanese monuments, and landmark sites; his reverence for the old ways was evident in all his haikus. In Japanese aestheticism, the twin ideals of sabi (an admiration for the old) and wabi (a reverence for simplicity) embody the Zen Buddhist philosophy of enlightenment. Thus, Basho traveled in order to seek deeper enlightenment through his oneness with nature; the desire to explore old paths and distill the meaning of life into accessible poetry characterized all four of his spiritual pilgrimages.
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