The Old Tea Seller: Baisaō: Life and Zen Poetry in 18th Century Kyoto

Baisao was an inspirational and unconventional figure in a culturally rich time period in Kyoto. A poet and Buddhist priest, he left the constrictions of temple life behind and at the age of forty-nine traveled to Kyoto, where he began to make his living by selling tea on the streets and at scenic places around the city. Yet Baisao dispensed much more than tea - though he would never purport to be a Zen master, his clientele, which consisted of influential artists, poets, and thinkers of the time, considered a trip to his shop as having a religious importance. His large bamboo wicker baskets, full of tea utensils, provided Baisao and his customers with an occasion for conversation and poetry, as well as exceptional tea. Included in his writings is a remarkable but little-known document, essential to understanding his life, that contains Baisao's response to a customer's inquiry as to why he abandoned the Buddhist priesthood for a tea-selling life. These poems, memoirs, and letters trace his spiritual and physical journey over a long life. This book includes virtually all of his writings translated for the first time into English, together with the first biography of Baisao to appear in any language. It is bound to establish Baisao's place alongside other Zen-inspired poets such as Basho and Ryokan.