Essays in Idleness and Hojoki

These two works on life’s fleeting pleasures are by Buddhist monks from medieval Japan, but each shows a different world-view. In the short memoir HOJOKI, Chōmei recounts his decision to withdraw from worldly affairs and live as a hermit in a tiny hut in the mountains, contemplating the impermanence of human existence. Kenkō, however, displays a fascination with more earthy matters in his collection of anecdotes; advice and observations. From ribald stories of drunken monks to aching nostalgia for the fading traditions of the Japanese court, ESSAYS IN IDLENESS is a constantly surprising work that ranges across the spectrum of human experience. [From the back cover.]