Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf


Book Description

The Japanese poet-recluse Ryokan (1758–1831) is one of the most beloved figures of Asian literature, renowned for his beautiful verse, exquisite calligraphy, and eccentric character. Deceptively simple, Ryokan's poems transcend artifice, presenting spontaneous expressions of pure Zen spirit. Like his contemporary Thoreau, Ryokan celebrates nature and the natural life, but his poems touch the whole range of human experience: joy and sadness, pleasure and pain, enlightenment and illusion, love and loneliness. This collection of translations reflects the full spectrum of Ryokan's spiritual and poetic vision, including Japanese haiku, longer folk songs, and Chinese-style verse. Fifteen ink paintings by Koshi no Sengai (1895–1958) complement these translations and beautifully depict the spirit of this famous poet.




Dewdrop on a Lotus Leaf


Book Description




Dew-drops on a Lotus Leaf


Book Description




Think Positive and Things Will Go Right


Book Description

In this book, Rakesh Mittal has narrated his personal experiences, describing them in an interesting manner. His narration imparts valuable information and wisdom, and underlines his conviction that when we think positive, things go right.




Kyoka, Japan's Comic Verse


Book Description

Even readers with no particular interest in Japan - if such odd souls exist - may expect unexpected pleasure from this book if English metaphysical poetry, grooks, hyperlogical nonsense verse, outrageous epigrams, the (im)possibilities and process of translation between exotic tongues, the reason of puns and rhyme, outlandish metaphor, extreme hyperbole and whatnot tickle their fancy. Read together with The Woman Without a Hole, also by Robin D. Gill, the hitherto overlooked ulterior side of art poetry in Japan may now be thoroughly explored by monolinguals, though bilinguals and students of Japanese will be happy to know all the original Japanese is included. This Reader is a selection from "Mad in Translation - a thousand years of kyoka, comic Japanese poetry in the classic waka mode," a 2000-poem, 200-chapter, 740-page monster of a book. It offers a 300-page double distillation high-proof sample of the poetry and prose, with improved translations, re-considered opinions and additional snake-legs (explanation some scholars may not need). The scattershot of two-page chapters and notes have been compounded into a score of cannonball-sized thematic chapters with just enough weight to bowl over most specialists yet, hopefully, not bore the amateur and sink a potentially broad-beamed readership. (More information may be found at the Paraverse Press website or Google Books)"




Bioinspired Design of Materials Surfaces


Book Description

Bioinspired Design of Materials Surfaces reviews novel methods and technologies used to design surfaces and materials for smart material and device applications. The author discusses how materials wettability can be impacted by the fabrication of micro- and nanostructures, anisotropic structures, gradient structures, and heterogeneous patterned structures on the surfaces of materials. The design of these structures was inspired by nature, including lotus, cactus, beetle back and butterfly wings, spider silk, and shells. The author reviews the various wettability functions that can result from these designs, such as self-cleaning, directional adhesion, droplet driving, anti-adhesion, non-wetting, liquid repellent properties, liquid separation, liquid splitting, and more. This book presents a key reference on how to fabricate bioinspired structures on materials for desired functions of materials wettability. It also discusses challenges, opportunities and many potential applications, such as oil-water separation devices, water harvesting devices and photonic device applications. - Introduces the fundamentals of both bioinspired materials design and the theory behind dynamic materials wettability - Reviews the latest methods and technologies used to create functional surfaces and structured materials that impact and potentially control wettability - Provides a snapshot of potential device applications, such as oil-water separation, water harvesting, fluid transport, photonic applications, and much more




The Tale of Genji


Book Description

"A fluid, elegant rendition." —Washington Post Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794–1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji—widely considered the world’s first novel—during the early years of the eleventh century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki’s tale came to occupy a central place in Japan’s remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature. The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary readers, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn sets off interior monologues with italics for fluid reading, embeds some annotations for accessibility and clarity, and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.




Mad in Translation


Book Description

Even readers with no particular interest in Japan - if such odd souls exist - may expect unexpected pleasure from this book if English metaphysical poetry, grooks, hyperlogical nonsense verse, outrageous epigrams, the (im)possibilities and process of translation between exotic tongues, the reason of puns and rhyme, outlandish metaphor, extreme hyperbole and whatnot tickle their fancy. Read together with The Woman Without a Hole, also by Robin D. Gill, the hitherto overlooked ulterior side of art poetry in Japan may now be thoroughly explored by monolinguals, though bilinguals and students of Japanese will be happy to know all the original Japanese is included.--amazon.com.




Zen Buddhism: Japan


Book Description

In this second volume of his classic history, one of the world's foremost Zen scholars turns his attention to the development of Zen in Japan.