1819

.弥陀仏の見ておはす也ちる桜
mida butsu no mite owasu nari chiru sakura

Amida Buddha watches
them scatter...
cherry blossoms

Amida Buddha promised to rescue all sentient beings who rely on his saving grace. Issa suggests that Amida's compassion does not leave out the falling blossoms. Robin D. Gill helped with this translation, clarifying Issa's use of owasu: "a meaningless ending that makes the verb (in this case, simply 'sees' or 'watches') appropiate for a subject that is highly respected.

Haiku By Issa Translated into English by David Lanoue

http://haikuguy.com/issa/search.php?keywords=cherry+blossom&year=

Elucidations ~
The Eternal Moment Of Dharma Is Every Moment ! Thus Traversing in Dharma we pass on to the Pure Land Perfect Buddha Worlds.

"Amida  Buddha watches" ~  this instantly implies the vast seamless infinite perspective of the Amida Buddha is present everywhere. Amitabha is the one who knows it All From Beginning to end and All Beyond  if any! His saving Grace is Eternal and for all beings.

Man and the animals and various beings  are eternally saved by this Bodhisattva Amitaabha! Amitaabha of The Pre Primal Quarters of Unborn Light Amitaabha of The Last Flaming Infinities of Silences

Amida thus is a Living Being and Omnipresent Omnipotent Omniscient and available to All if beckoned with Dharma !

What does he watch ? 

 “Amida Buddha watches
them scatter..”

What does scatter ?

Amida Buddha watches
them scatter...
cherry blossoms

cherry blossoms ! With a gentle twist [hineri] the beautiful Haiku is established with this kigo [ sakura]! The mystery of the Where and When of the “Bodha Moment” too is clearly revealed !

It is spring, cherry blossom time. There are birds and butterflies too floating and enhancing the fragrant breeze spaces. The fallen cherry blossoms too are scattering. It is a time when Issa perhaps sees an Icon of Buddha or remembers Amida.  He suddenly realizes, re-cognizes the transience of the whole world here including these beautiful cherry blossoms ! But Issa feels relieved and hopeful  when he remembers the Buddha’s promise of an Apocalyptic Perfection and Return  of All Dharma Kaayas [ Divine Immortal Bodies ] to unite Finally in the Pure Lands of Infinite Light And Wonder. So Issa  sses the scattering of cherryblossoms in breeze perhaps and feels the Amitaabha’s promise even to save the cherryblossoms!

I will conclude this elucidation with my poem of the Returning Maitreya Amitabha Buddha who unifies All Worlds resonant in Infinite Cadent Delight!  

Holding an unfading lotus
in his right hand
the Maitreya Buddha sits alone
amidst the fetid squalors
of the last vast hells

The Amida awaits even in hells with his immortal promise.

Technically Issa has used a "vast" to "close up" zoom that finally ends in cherry blossoms!

This Haiku though typically Issa will be considered Non-haiku by many western practitioners because "Amida watching" is not reality but metaphysical/ imaginary and according to them imagination is a sin in Haiku that nullifies its essential Aha[!] Haikuness! Again the Haiku shows deep animistic feel which also is not appreciated by most modern western practitioners!

Perhaps in this context it is not surprising that many senior Japanese haiku-poets  consider western Haiku as an appendage/abberation of Haiku than Haiku itself ! This ethnic vanity may be excused in the vaster context of cultural/aesthetic sensitivity of a nation!