白隠慧鶴 Hakuin
Ekaku (1686-1769)
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海老 Ebi Shrimp
39 × 53 cm
鬚げながく
腰まがるまで生き度くば
しよくをひかへて 食をひかへよ
Hige nagaku
koshi magaru made ikitakuba
shoku o hikaete, shoku o hikaeyo
Shrimp if you want to live
a long life until your whiskers are long and
your body is bent over,
eat moderately and sleep alone
According to one explanation, the original verse was, “If you wish to live long enough that your beard grows long and your back grows round, eat sparingly and sleep alone.” When it was pointed out that a lay practicer would find this difficult advice to follow, Hakuin amended it:
If you wish to live long enough that your beard grows long and your back grows round, eat sparingly, eat sparingly.