No Change

About

The first day of autumn
returning from alms round
I set down my bowl by the temple
to go play with the children.
Last year: a foolish monk.
This year: no change.

–Ryokan

I like the part about setting down his bowl and going to play with the children.  Too often after “alms round” (taking care of responsibilities), we forget to take the time to play with the children or even to relax ourselves.

However, taking it out of context, I focus on the last two lines:

Last year: a foolish monk.

This year:  no change.

And in abject self-reproach, I write:

Last year:  a foolish wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend.

This year:  no change.

(I might mention that “Alms round” for a monk is when he takes his empty bowl each morning and goes into town.  If they desire, they put food in it for him to eat.  Sometimes he gets plenty and sometimes none.  Then he goes back to his “hut” to eat it and meditate.)