The Zen rebels: obscure hermits and existential reformers (part 24) - Shinkichi Takahashi

(Image: Shinkichi Takahashi in his 20s.  blog.livedoor.jpl)

As we've explored the many aspects of the iconoclastic Zen thought throughout the centuries of both China and Japan, particularly of course Japan, that embraced Zen Buddhism, not just as an extension of the Mahāyāna school, but as a direct transmission from the Chinese Ch'an Masters of the 11th and 12th Centuries to their Japanese monks. Which was then transcribed within the ability of Japanese culture, despite its isolationist status as a country, to absorb and utilize outside influence.  Uniquely making it their own, achieving this in such a cultured way.

A man by the name of Shinkichi Takahashi was born in the fishing village of Shikoku in 1901, from a poor working class family, he was gifted with an uncanny ability to assimilate external concepts and ideas. His story is unique, yet similar to the Japanese ethos of reflecting and cultivating outside influences, from Takahashi's early stages in life, over a period of many years it becomes an incredible tale of Japan's greatest and last of the Zen modern day poets.  He also reflected the rebel, an outcast,  but not necessarily of inclination that is of the ego, but because situations that he was born into, molded the temperament of this young man.  Dropping out of high school, he decided to travel to Tokyo to become a writer – where his misalignment in seeking an understanding of the self, was driven with youthful impulsiveness, which in turn for the young Takahashi cast this lack of direction and disciplinary awareness. Yet, despite this, Takahashi's maladroit traits also galvanized  in him a cognizant focus. A single minded sense of the self.  On his first visit to Tokyo and without any contacts within the literary world, in his rush to attain fame, Takahashi ended up contracting Typhus, admitting himself to a charity hospital within the week of his arrival. The dreams of prominence in such a rash manner did not transpire.  Leaving the Tokyo hospital he returned back to his home village of Shikoku penniless and weak. In the weeks that followed, according to the stories and myths around Takahashi, the young man received a newspaper article about the Avant-garde art movement called Dadaism.  It is important to note the Taishō era that Takahashi grew up in, which was 1920s Japan.  A period of liberalism and modernization after years of shogunate power – but it was also a time of great uncertainty. From the East Russian had embraced Communism and the Chinese were becoming more nationalistic, to which Japan as an Empire attempted to assert power over its neighbors. Western counties, particularly America and England sought to gain an influence in the Asian region, more so in respect to using Japan as center point between the Pacific, China and Russia.  Tensions were on the rise.  As globally after World War One, most countries were eager to asseverate power throughout the world.  Whilst the past and its history of events becomes a testament to the 1920s, reflecting a mixed bag of ideologies, theories all vying for what they believed would provide political stability.  

And it was these events unfolding around a young Takahashi within the modernization of Japan, which also brought a widespread disillusionment of the intelligentsia after the horrendous carnage from World War One; the rationality and the idealism of human advancement through its progressiveness of technology began to diminish into the absurd. For Takahashi as an impulsive idealist he was very attracted to the European art moment known as Dadaism, its appeal as an antiauthoritarian visual medium captivated Takahashi and from that point in early 20's, he begins to start writing his poetry.  Very much influenced in its pose of Dadaist deconstruction styles.  Returning back to Tokyo in 1923, gaining work in a newspaper office as a errand boy, he releases his first book in 1924 titled “Dadaist Shinkichi' Poetry”, below is an  example of his earlier work, the poem ennui:

"ennui 

passions crawling like a spider on the brow Don’t wipe dishes 

with the rice colored apron, a woman with black nostrils 

Humor is becoming sooty there too. Dissolve life in the water. 

On a cooled stew pot weariness floats. 

Smash dishes. 

Smash dishes and then there will come out the echo of ennui."

He receives a copy of his first book whilst incarcerated in Tokyo jail, now in his mid 20s. In a symbolic Dadaist way, he tears up the copy of his own book.  The young man, after being released from Jail and in need of purpose and direction, begins to try and seek to identify with a more focused aspect of life, remaining in this impressionable personality attribute which is also guiding his impulsiveness, he sought the Zen guidance of Rinzai Master Shizan Ashikaga.  The strict disciplinary Rinzai teacher. And this is the beginning of Takahashi's connection to Zen, yet it also lays down the start of his perseverance and endurance to become one of Japan's greatest poets.