“There is a mountain temple in Yamagata Prefecture which is an unusually quiet place. ‘You must go and see it,’ the people urged. Reserve a space at the dormitory at the base, then climb to the temple on the ridge. This mountain is one of rocky steeps, ancient pines, cypresses, old earth and stone and smooth moss that creep over boulders. It is a penetrating scene of profound quietness. There, the heart and mind are clear.”

Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)

Stillness –
the cicada’s cry
drills into the rocks

– Basho