Hojoki

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Hojoki (方丈記 Hōjō-ki) is a short work written in 1212 by by Kamo no Chomei. It describes disasters that befall the people of Kyoto - from earthquates to famine and fire. Chomei 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 Hojoki is famous in Japanese literature as an expression of mujō (無常), the transience of the 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's translation).

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