Stonehouse

From The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse translated and commentary by Red Pine, poems by Shiwu (1272–1352). He wrote 184 poems in Mountain Poems, written in Chinese, while he lived in the Zhongnan Mountains. He was in Tiger Hill Zen lineage. Online it says Zibo Zhenke is one of the teachers. In the book it says Chi-an is the teacher. 

3 

Grave upon grave buried beneath weeds 

before their funerals they carried gold seals 

but desire is no match for detachment 

and how can ambition compete with restraint 

lured by bait golden fish end up in kettles 

uncaged magic wings fly high 

worldly affairs don't concern a hermit 

I weave my robe from homegrown hemp

9 

Don't think a mountain home means you're free 

a day doesn't pass without its cares 

old ladies steal my bamboo shoots 

boys lead oxen into the wheat g

rubs and beetles destroy my greens 

boars and squirrels devour the rice 

things don't always go my way 

what can I do but turn to myself

32 

I saw through my worldly concerns of the past

I welcome old age and enjoy being free 

rope shoes a bamboo staff the last month of spring

paper curtains plum blossoms and daybreak dreams

immortality and buddhahood are merely fantasies

freedom from worry and care is my practice

last night what the pine wind roared

that was a language the deaf can't hear

Some past posts on Stonehouse that include poems plus links:

Shiwu (9&10)

Stonehouse (51)

External poems (Unnumbered) (another)

Stonehouse

 

Shiwu

Shiwu (1272–1352) was a Chinese Chan poet and hermit who lived during the Yuan Dynasty. He got the nickname Stonehouse because of where he lived as a hermit in Yushan, in the north of China. He studied under master Yung-Wei and three years later was ordained and received the dharma name Ch'ing-hung. Kao-feng took him as his pupil and gave him the koan "All things return to one" for study. He had more adventures with another teacher, and then in 1312 at the age of forty he moved to Xiamu Mountain near Huzhou. He composed his "Mountain Poems" (Shan-shih), one-hundred and eighty-four verses mostly dealing with life in the mountains. He had stints as abbots at various temples, seems like 3 times. 

I'm reading The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse translated and commentary by Red Pine. I really like it. This book, like the one before, could bear rereading.

Red Pine went to the monastery where Shiwu studied for 3 years with Kao-feng. The abbot had never heard of Shiwu or Stonehouse or Ch'ing-hung, his nickname and ordination name.

His last poem before his death: 

corpses don't stink in the mountains

there's no need to bury them deep

I might not have the fire of samadhi

but enough wood to end this family line