Thread: Today's Doka
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Old 04-08-2009, 09:42 AM   #3
Peter Goldsbury
 
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Dojo: Hiroshima Kokusai Dojo
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
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Re: Today's Doka

I see you are from the Kannagara Jinja Dojo. I suggest that before you pose questions like this, you might look at the texts already available, or ask your teacher (who is probably very highly qualified to answer).

The Japanese given by John Stevens is:
おのころに常立なして中に生く愛の構えは山彦の道
おのころに常立なして中に生く愛の構えは山びこの道
Onokoro ni tokotachi nashite naka ni iku ai no kamae wa yamabiko no michi.

Here is the translation by Stevens (which is somewhat different from Jun's rendering, probably taken from Seiseki Abe?), with an explanatory note:

On this very earth
stand as firmly as a god.
Flourish in the very center--
the stance of love is the
Path of the mountain echo*

*Onokoro (usually pronounced "onogoro") means "self-congealed." It was the first island of Japan to be created and symbolizes this present world of ours--the realm in which we must exercise individual freedom.

And, to add to the mix: the kanbun text in the Kojiki for onokoro is: 淤能碁呂, with the modern meanings:
淤: mud
能: ability. function, skilfully
碁: board game of go
呂: backbone, tone (e.g., of voice)

Philippi believes that the characters are to be read entirely phonetically and not for their meanings and that the phrase "probably" meant self-curdling, which presumably happens if the brine piles up (especially if a whole island results).

Best wishes,

PAG

EDIT. After posting, I saw Josh's note. It is not Stevens translation, but Stevens makes very little sense, also.

Quote:
Matthew Gano wrote: View Post
What is the possible meaning behind the "self-mind" phrase mentioned in today's doka?

Last edited by Peter Goldsbury : 04-08-2009 at 09:54 AM.

P A Goldsbury
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