A Collection of Poems
for Living a Wholehearted Life

(written by Shinmin Sakamura and
translated by Takahiko Sakai)
Encounters

Life is a series of encounters, tied together by curious chance.

The doctrine of transmigration of souls, preached by Buddha, is of miraculous wonder.
The wonder lets me live in peace as I am now.

I had an encounter with this great man.
The chance encounter has completely changed my life:
The darkness in the past has now changed into the brightness.
The unbelievable for me in the past has now become the believable.
Everything in the world, hailing me, closely linked with me,
has become familar to me.

Hugging your baby in your arms
will make you feel anxious about his or her future.
May this baby encounter a warm-hearted person!
Your wishing in this manner
will somehow naturally bring tears to your eyes.

Miraculous encounters with those who hae lost their eyesight
has nowdays given me a limitless strength.
With our hands firmly together in a jouyful pleasant manner,
I now keep good company with those blind people.
The time with them, heart-warming and delightful,
gives a beam of hope and glory to me at the present.

How miraculous it is to meet a man of heart by chance!
Let's put our hands together while thinking of this incredible wonder.

The Last Number

About The Poet