The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away,
and the weather is clear again.
If the heart is pure, then all things in the world are pure,…
then the moon and the flower will guide you along the way.
雨晴雲晴気復晴
心清遍界物皆清
棄世棄身為閑者
初月与花送余生
The rain has cleared, clouds has cleared, also air has cleared.
The heart becoming pure, all things in the world become pure.
Becoming leisurely person, discarding the world and the body,
For the first time, the moon and flowers send the rest of my life.
Daigu Ryokan
Today, we get up at 4 am. The sky is clear and dotted with sparkling stars.
The white of surrounding glaciers is illuminating the surroundings.
The beauty is overwhelming. This day is the longest day of our trek – 6 miles up
to the over 17,000 feet Larkya La (pass) and down to the next village, Bimtang.
We are in pure awe the entire day.
Night View
Morning Dew
More Morning Dew
First sunrays with path marker (snow) in the foreground
Crystal clear lake reflecting the surroundings
Glacier of the Larkya Mountain range
Alpine Flower
Taking refuge
Little mouse in rocky environment
Majestic Mountain
Harvesting herbs for Puja (offering) at home
Rock, snow and ice
Path along glacier with glacier lake in background
Arriving in Bimtang after a long day
(Text and photos contributed by Garyo)
Note: The second translation version of Ryokan’s poem followed his simple
statements of the situation without any hint of causal relations, caution or advice
(simply repeating three times and two times of sei: 晴: clear = sei: 清: pure).
Yo (余) in yosei (余生, usually meaning retired/renounced life) seems to first
indicate “the rest,” but also “my” (“I” in the sense of “out” of the ordinary world,
an outsider of the mundane realm).