Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen (Zen Master Series)

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Basho is one of the greatest poets in the world. His greatness is not in his poetry - there are far greater poets as far as the composition of the poetry is concerned. His greatness is that his poetry is not just verbiage, is not just putting words together according to a certain pattern, his poetry is an experience.

Hyakujo never wrote any poetry. His approach is very prose and direct, and the haikus supplement what is missing in the prose. Basho expressed himself very graphically. His experiences are more paintings than poetry. And his understanding is - and I agree with him - that where prose fails, poetry may succeed. Poetry has a more feminine way, more subtle, more graceful, of entering into the heart. I have put together two great masters. Both are Himalayan peaks, and together they are going to create a tremendous harmony.