Hōjōki

Hōjōki (方丈記), sometimes translated as “An Account of My Hut”, was one of important short works of the Kamakura period (1185–1333) in Japan by Kamo no Chōmei. Written in 1212 It describes disasters that befall the people of Kyoto from earthquakes to famine and fire. Chōmei becomes a Buddhist monk and moves farther and farther into the mountains, eventually living in a 10-foot square hut.

The opening sentence of the Hōjōki is famous in Japanese literature as an expression of mujō (無常), the transience of this world:

Ceaselessly the river flows, and yet the water is never the same, while in the still pools the shifting foam gathers and is gone, never staying for a moment … (Sadler)

References

• Kamo-no-Chomei; Trans. Yasuhiko Moriguchi and David Jenkins (1996). Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World. Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-22-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Trans. A L Sadler (1971). The Ten Foot Square Hut and Tales of the Heike. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-0879-1.