WHF2005: Fuga No Makoto

FUGA NO MAKOTO – POETIC SINCERITY, HONESTY AND TRUTH......
—the Ultimate Aim of Haiku Education
The Keynote Speech for WHF2005 in Romania
On the main theme of the Festival: Haiku and Education
Susumu Takiguchi, Chairman, The World Haiku Club
Constantza, Romania, 14 – 20 June 2005



Poetry comes nearer to vital truth than history.
        – Plato

It is my pleasure to be with so many distinguished haiku poets from around the world in this wonderful location in Romania and to discuss with you one of the most important areas of the world haiku movement, namely haiku and education. World Haiku Festival 2005 in Romania is the seventh of its kind held under the auspices of the World Haiku Club. After the inaugural meeting in London and Oxford in the year 2000, we had World Haiku Festivals back in the UK twice in 2001, first in London and Oxford and secondly in north England, and then in Japan in 2002, the Netherlands and Hirado Island in Japan in 2003 and Venice in 2004.

What is education? In a sense it is as serious an act for one human being to educate another as for one human being, say, to judge another. Both affect the other person fundamentally and almost forever. Nowadays, education means mainly the process of teaching at schools and through the university system. In olden times, education seems to have had two aspects in the original terminology. One was, according to its Latin meaning, to bring up, rear, foster or train (educare), like bringing up a child or training an apprentice, in other words a much broader sense. And the other was to lead out, or, as in a modern English word, educe, to bring out, elicit or evoke (educere), like “all things were educed from the ancient slime” (OED), namely to help people to realise themselves with their innate talents and qualities extracted. Both are derivatives from the Latin ducere, meaning to lead. These two aspects are very instructive when we think of the main theme of this year’s World Haiku Festival: “Haiku and Education.”

The first aspect of education, to bring up, or to train, indicates a much broader meaning of education than mere schooling. Haiku is more of a way of life than simply acquiring a body of exotic knowledge and skills. It therefore fits this broader meaning of education very well.

At the same time, I happen to believe that haiku, or something like a primordial sensibility for haiku, is actually in every one of us, regardless of race, culture, language or religion. Put another way, if we compare haiku to cooking, its ingredients are to be found in every one of us. We only have to cook it. And like food, every haiku tastes different, unless, that is, one gets it from McDonald’s. You, as haiku poets from various countries, are living testimonies to this. The question, then, is how to extract haiku from within ourselves, and this question relates to the second aspect of education as applied to haiku. So, all we have to do is to extract haiku that is already within us right from the start. Simple, isn’t it? Or is it?

At this point, there is one issue which needs to be addressed before we go any further. It is actually something that is self-evident, but I will mention it anyway. And that is, that haiku is poetry full stop and not an instrument for education, or for anything else for that matter. Haiku should be pursued and enjoyed for what it is and for its own sake. It should not be used as a tool of education any more than it should be used for political or some religious purposes. If haiku is basically treated as poetry, first and foremost, and still leaves us with an aftereffect or by-product with some good influence on, or benefit for, education, by all means let us make the most of it. However, to have it the other way around would be putting the cart before the horse.

That said, it is heartening to think that haiku has played a useful role in education in various ways. The evidence is abundant. It ranges from school curricula that make the teaching of haiku to children compulsory to cases where haiku is used for an educational programme in prisons. Haiku in education has been one of the most important policy areas of the World Haiku Club since the club's inception in 1998. In the first World Haiku Festival back in 2000 in London and Oxford, a special seminar was organised that was exclusively devoted to this theme. Our members are disseminating haiku among children across the world through school systems or by holding workshops, ginko or kukai all the time. Children are natural haiku poets even before they know anything about it.

There are many interesting things to discuss under the theme of "Haiku and Education." However, today I would like to try to examine with you what I believe to be one of the ultimate aims of education as applied to haiku. This particular aim of education is to provide each person with ways in which he or she can try to reach truths. Science provides ways in which to explore scientific truths through experiments. Philosophy provides philosophical truths through contemplation. Arts — artistic truths through pictorial or musical language. What, then, does haiku provide? I believe that haiku provides ways in which we can explore what I call poetic truths, or truths found and expressed in the haiku language. Here I am talking about what Basho was seeking both in his writing and teaching of haikai-no-renga and hokku, namely, fuga no makoto, or poetic truths. One of Basho’s disciples, Hattori Dohoh, went so far as to say that haikai became capable of reaching truths for the first time with Basho because his haikai was not that of the old but haikai of makoto, namely truths.*

I am sure you will agree with me when I say that haiku opens up for us a very different way of looking at things around us. You probably can never forget the first time when a haiku poem hit you and suddenly you were experiencing something totally new and different. Perhaps you remember that particular haiku by heart. As you walked along the haiku path since then and were consciously or unconsciously acquiring a different outlook from your usual views, haiku must have changed you permanently even in the subtlest way. The world, it seems, would not be the same again. You would not see nazuna (a shepherd’s purse) or a spider in the same way again. You would not feel the same again when you get wet with spring rain or hit by hail. You would not look up at the sky in the same way again, as you would become more conscious of the moon or the Milky Way all the time. You would not pass narcissi by without trying to find if they were bent by the first snow.

Thus haiku can teach children or any other learners a totally new way of looking at the world around us. If they are deeply moved by what they see, it is likely that they have hit some haiku gold mine. And if they can put such poetic experience in a few right haiku words, then they will probably achieve fuga no makoto, or poetic truths. There are a number of paths leading to such poetic truths.

First, as I have already mentioned, there is a path for them to recognise and learn a different way of looking at things. Though things they see may be the same as those they are accustomed to, yet it is the new way in which to look at them that is different.

The second path is for them to write down what they saw in a new and different way, namely a haiku way. The haiku way of writing one’s observations is different from any other writing style they are accustomed to.

Third, they can be taught to realise for themselves that the subject matter of haiku is also different from that which they are used to with their indigenous poems.

Now, the word makoto in fuga no makoto is a key word to understand one of the central tenets of Japanese spiritual values in the arts, literature, ethics or philosophy. Ma in makoto means true and koto means both "words" and "things," thus makoto means both "true words" and "true things," i.e., truths in words and things. In addition, makoto, when not broken up like this, means an ethical, humanistic or moralistic value of honesty, sincerity and truthfulness. So, when Basho uses the phrase fuga no makoto, it means not only poetic truths but also poetic honesty and sincerity both in words and subjects. There is an element of moralistic value in Basho’s fuga no makoto, while for many other haiku poets such a moral dimension was neither important nor part of their concern.

In this connection, another teaching by someone who preceded Basho is instructive. It points out that haikai is indeed one body but that it can be divided into two parts. One is the haikai of heart. And the other is haikai of words. It puts the former above the latter. It would not be surprising if these words had been spoken by Basho himself. The teaching is that of Saito Tokumoto and can be found in his Haikai-Shogaku-Sho. This book, published in Kan-ei 18, or in 1641, three years before Basho was born, is renowned as the first book on haikai to be published in Edo (modern Tokyo). The remark is attributed to Sogi, whom Basho respected.

Historically, there were three major values people sought to achieve in Japanese culture: shin (truth), zen (goodness) and bi (beauty). They represented philosophical, ethical and aesthetic goals respectively. Waka or tanka sought beauty first, followed by truth and some element of goodness. However, normally haiku looked into truth and beauty but seldom into goodness. Of course truth can be found in beauty and truth itself can be beautiful. And there is that famous adage: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Aesthetic values can be broad or narrow according to the beholder. No one doubts the beauty of Basho’s wisteria haiku or the Milky Way haiku. But how many people would see beauty in the cicada or the roaming dream haiku?

A single haiku may not have all these values, though it is not impossible. Some haiku poems may have only one of them and still manage to be good. However, it seems to me to be essential for any haiku to have truth as a prerequisite. This is why it is so important for us to spend some time thinking about what we mean by poetic truths.

Obviously, we cannot dissect haiku into these clear-cut poetic values. Nor should we really do it if we can appreciate good haiku without such irksome and often unnecessary analysis. Even so, what is important to remember is that it is haiku’s own poetic values that provide us with ways in which we can reach fuga no makoto and thus teach haiku to children in the right way.

Let us, then, look at some of the points we need to explore in search of fuga no makoto.

First, about the word fuga. In the broadest sense, it means arts in general. In the commonest sense it means literature, especially poetry. For Basho, it meant sometimes poetry in general but often it meant haikai itself. So, for him the terms fuga and haikai were interchangeable.

Second, we are not talking about truths in general terms. The truths we are dealing with are poetic truths, and especially haikai truths. Poetic truths are those arrived at through poetic perception and expressed in the poetic language. Some of them cannot be reached in any other way. Others may be the same truths but perceived and expressed as poetry.

Third, as we have already seen, fuga no makoto refers to broad, deep and somewhat intangible truths, having aesthetic, epistemological, ethical and humanistic dimensions. It is a poetic branch of one’s Weltanschauung, and that is why I call haiku a way of life. And, significantly, it is also why haiku cannot really be taught during a very short course in the school curriculum or in a one hour workshop. This particular point has been amply illuminated by the haiku poems that were quoted by today's speakers, notably Kai Falkman, Zinovy Vayman and Visnja McMaster.

Fourth, fuga no makoto is not a freak phenomenon or momentary accident but holds its value over time, often forever, and becomes timeless.

Fifth, fuga no makoto also often extends in space as well. In other words, the poetic truths thus obtained in one place can be understood, shared or repeated elsewhere in the world. This is the aspect of haiku that has universality.

Sixth, fuga no makoto is a result or product of the dynamism of two colliding forces: fueki ryuko, which is another important teaching of Basho. Fueki simply means "no change" and refers to values of a permanent and enduring nature. Ryuko, on the other hand, means "changing fashions of the time" and refers to newness, innovation, originality or unconventional values that would break with old ways in a revolutionary manner. For instance, Beethoven created new and innovative music, ushering in a new age and setting a new trend. However, he did not do so without first having been steeped in classical music of an old tradition. Thus he had fueki ryuko and left legacy of permanent value. None of us is Beethoven, but all of us can become a little Beethoven! Fueki ryuko is an abbreviation of senzai-fueki ichiji-ryuko (eternal no-change and temporary fashion). When fueki and ryuko collide and interact in a dynamic explosion of creative haiku writing, the result could be like a newly born baby taking after both parents but different from both. And there is a single ultimate value that lies beyond fueki ryuko, and that is nothing but fuga no makoto.

Seventh, haikai jiyu. This is another extremely important teaching of Basho. It refers to the freedom that haikai came to enjoy but which had been denied to other traditional genres such as waka. However, once this freedom becomes institutionalised it ceases to be new and fresh and becomes part of tradition, creating new needs for further freedom. Western haiku was fresh but has now become laden with the burden of rules and regulations. It needs to be liberated. We need to secure and preserve the maximum freedom of poetic expression and creation all the time. It is an ongoing process and there is not a single moment in time when a haiku poet is pronounced, or regards himself or herself, as accomplished. It is his or her fate to remain an eternal learner.

Eighth, haiku is a product of interaction between nature and man, with man as part of nature. That is why haiku is a complex literature. Such practice in the West as dividing up the subject matter into nature and man and, for instance, allocating nature to haiku and man to senryu is a gross oversimplification and a bit of criminal negligence even.

Ninth, similar to a point we have already seen, Basho taught the importance for a haikai poet of remaining a learner and not becoming complacent about his/her skills or experience. “Let small children do haikai” and “Poems by beginners are promising” are Basho’s words to express this sentiment. To put a popular saying slightly differently: Those who teach, can’t. Basho advises against haikai becoming gimmicky, contrived and boastful.

Tenth, Basho said that there was that which could not be really taught in haikai. He is referring to what cannot be explained or theorised. Learners therefore need to learn it themselves by their intuition or sensibility. Some of them just don’t get it. That is too bad. However, many of us are born with it and some of us can acquire it so long as we go about it in the right way.

There are still many more interesting points regarding Basho’s teachings that are useful for our investigation, but these ten points I have outlined are probably enough for us to acquire basic understanding of fuga no makoto.

Let us recapitulate what we have seen. One of the ultimate aims of education is to help learners find ways to reach truths. Haiku helps them to reach poetic truths, which are truths perceived and expressed through poetic sensibility and language. Haiku truths, or haikai truths, are what Basho called fuga no makoto. Fuga no makoto has a broad dimension encompassing aesthetic, epistemological, moralistic and humanistic values. To reach this ultimate goal of fuga no makoto, a haiku poet must follow certain right paths. These include recognition that haiku is a way of life and that to learn it properly one needs to be "brought up" by it; implementation of the dynamic process whereby fueki (tradition, permanent values) and ryuko (fashion, newness, innovation and originality) would interact and collide in a creative way; making the most of haikai no jiyu, which is freedom of poetic expression and creation in haikai; true understanding of the important point that haiku is neither about nature nor about man alone but is about the interaction and relationship between the two, with man as part of nature; the importance of a haiku poet remaining an eternal learner; recognition that there is something in haiku that cannot be taught but only learned by intuition and practice.

Does this fuga no makoto of Basho make sense to you? Does it resonate with your sensibility? Does it appeal to you as something you wish to aim for? I believe it does. In fact I know it does for some of you whom I know very well. If fuga no makoto is with you and inside you in the sense Basho mentioned, you can’t go wrong. You can then make it resonate with the sensibility of other people, including, or especially, children and other learners. This is far more important and effective in terms of haiku and education than teaching syllable count such as 5-7-5, or a few rules or technicalities of haiku-writing.

Some non-Japanese haiku poets may never reach the Japanese haiku spirit, but all haiku poets can expect to reach fuga no makoto, and that is a wonderful and hopeful possibility. Real haiku can have universality in time and space. Fuga no makoto is the catalyst for such universality and therefore is the ultimate aim of our learning haiku.

I cannot finish my keynote speech without paying my heartfelt tribute to at least some of the people who have made this year’s World Haiku Festival possible.

First and foremost, I wish to thank all the participants both from home and abroad, because ultimately it is each one of you who bring success to the World Haiku Festival.

Then my thanks go to each and every one of those at the Constantza Haiku Society and the Japanese Culture & Civilization Centre of Constantza who have worked so hard, preparing for this wonderful Festival for us all.

You have been in a sense lucky to organise the World Haiku Festival in your country, Romania, because of the good tradition here of having international haiku meetings and magazines which had been set by other distinguished poets, most notably by my friend, Ion Codrescu, and his equally dedicated wife, Michaela.

You are all heroes, every one of you. However, I am sure you will forgive me if I extend special thanks to someone who perceived, planned, prepared, organised and executed this ambitious event of great depth and complexity. Sonia Cristina Coman was appointed five years ago as World Haiku Ambassador of the World Haiku Club for life on the occasion of the first World Haiku Festival 2000, which was held in London and Oxford. She then became Associate Director of WHChaikujunior, which is our online haiku forum for schoolchildren and young people. It is in these official capacities as well as, more specifically, being WHC's Director of World Haiku Festival 2005 that Sonia directed and organised this event.

As you know very well, Sonia’s hard work and inspiration led to the establishment of the Japanese Culture & Civilization Centre of Constantza. She has endeavoured to include haiku in the school education in this country. How blessed is Constantza, how blessed is Romania to have such a multitalented young lady as Sonia! How blessed we all are in the world haiku community to have Sonia! On behalf of everybody, I would like to present a token gift of our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude and propose a toast to her.

[Notes]

*Hattori Dohoh, Sanzohshi

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