[KS] Re: Reginald Horace Blyth

[Henny Savenije]

At 01:31 AM 7/15/00, Ross King wrote:
> >On a slightly different note -
>
>
>think one was published by the British Haiku Society or some such thing,
>leading me to wonder if he was (is?) a Brit.

 From http://www.gardendigest.com/haiku1.htm :


Blyth, Reginald Horace (1898 - 1964)

         Chronology of R. H. Blyth's life, bibliography, links, quotes by 
and about R. H. Blyth.
         Prepared by Michael P. Garofalo.    21K, 21 June 2000, Version 
2.1.6.

I found some more information about Blyth.
 From http://www.cc.matsuyama-u.ac.jp/~shiki/shiki.archive/9608/0069.html



"Reginald Horace Blyth:

He was born at Ilford, Essex, England in 1898 and died in Tokyo in 1964.

During the 1st World War he refused the military service and was put in jail.
He graduated from University College, London.

In 1924 he was invited to be a lecturer at Keijyo Imperial University in
Seoul, Korea (which was a colony of Japan at that time). He was interested
in Eastern arts, Zen in particular; he became a disciple of Daisetsu Suzuki
(the famous Zen master). He taught English literature at 4th high school in
Kanazawa, Gakushuin University, Japan University, Tokyo University and so on.
Meanwhile he studied Zen, haiku, and senryu, and published a lot of noted
books. Most of "Haiku" was written while he was in jail during the 2nd World
War.

After it, he took part in the Emperor Showa's declaration that the Emperor
was a human being and not a god (the "Human-Being Declaration"), and taught
English to the Crown Prince Akihito (the present Emperor).

His grave is located at Toke-temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture, and
behind Daisetsu Suzuki's grave.

He joined his favorite western poets, Blake, Wordsworth, and Emerson to the
Japanease haiku poets with Zen inspiration. He introduced the haiku which is
"the ultimate flower of the Eastern culture" to the people of the West.

He loved and played the music of J. S. Bach. He made the musical
instruments, too. He was a strict vegetarian."

 From
http://www.dailyalmanacs.com/almanac2/october/1028.html
In 1964, Reginald Horace Blyth, Zen teacher/scholar, dies in Japan at 66

 From
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/tokeiji.htm

Tokeiji

      Official name: Shokozan Tokei Soji Zenji {Pronounced sho-koh-zan 
toh-kay soh-gee zen-gee}
      Religious Sect: Engakuji School, Zen (Rinzai) Sect, Buddhism
      Main object of worship: Statue of Shaka Nyorai {sha-kah nyo-rye} 
(Sakyamuni in Sanskrit)
      Founded: in 1285 : by Sadatoki Hojo {sah-dah-toe-key hoh-joe}
      Founding nun: Kakusan-ni {kah-koo-san-nee}
      Address: 1367 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0062
      Area size: 10,000 square meters
      Location: 250 meters south of Kita-Kamakura Station
      Time needed to get there: 5 minutes
      Admission: 100 yen (Additional 300 yen for Treasure House, which is 
open from 10:00 to 15:00. Closed on Monday. If Monday is a National Holiday,
      then closed on Tuesday.)
      Open: 8:30 - 17:00 (until 16:00 from November through March)
      Phone number: 0467-22-1663
      Restrooms: Available at the Treasure House

Dr. Reginald Horace Blyth (1898-1964), an Englishman who came to Japan in 
1924 to learn Japanese literature was also
buried here. He wrote English Literature and Oriental Classics in 1942. He 
showed a keen interest in Zen Buddhism through
Daisetz T. Suzuki. Japanese short poem haiku is another area he was engaged 
in and he introduced it to foreign countries. Given
Ph.D degree in literature from Tokyo University, 1954.

If you need to know more, please tell me, there are tons of links if you 
make a search for Blyth.

Cheers
-----------------------------
Henny  (Lee Hae Kang)

Feel free to visit
http://www.henny-savenije.demon.nl
and feel the thrill of Hamel discovering Korea (1653-1666)
In Korean
http://www.henny-savenije.demon.nl/indexk2.htm



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