What does this poem mean????

Basho said to his disciple "when you have a staff, I will give it to you." If you have no staff I will take it from you.

Please respond to me by 4pm 5/4/99

thanks in advance...

-- Vanessa Smith (cinnamonbun2@yahoo.com), May 04, 1999

Answers

I didn't know Basho had a disciple. But it is probably similar to the christian concept of those that have will be given to, and those that have not will be taken away from. Capitalism follows a similar principle. Blake said - attributing it to the Lord: for more are children of the desolate than the married wife. Wail and gnash and rage.

-- Terry Gillmore (poet@poetrystore.com), May 05, 1999.

Basho, being the real thing, i.e. a 'realised' man who had attained union with the universal spirit, would give to the disciple his 'stick', - the symbol, trappings, prop, or identification of a Master, when the disciple was ready, or due...if due. Until then he, the Master, woulod take and take and take until nothing remaind of the disciple.

"to he that has, I give more, and to he that has none I take away" the Nazarene

-- hugh karl gallagher (hughkarl@uq.net.au), July 12, 1999.

Basho, being the real thing, i.e. a 'realised' man who had attained union with the universal spirit, would give to the disciple his 'stick', - the symbol, trappings, prop, or identification of a Master, when the disciple was ready, or due...if due. Until then he, the Master, would take and take and take until nothing remaind of the disciple.

"to he that has, I give more, and to he that has none I take away" the Nazarene

-- hugh karl gallagher (hughkarl@uq.net.au), July 12, 1999.

Basho, being the real thing, i.e. a 'realised' man who had attained union with the universal spirit, would give to the disciple his 'stick', - the symbol, trappings, prop, or identification of a Master, when the disciple was ready, or due...if due. Until then he, the Master, would take and take and take until nothing remaind of the disciple.

"to he that has, I give more, and to he that has none I take away even that"......the Nazarene

-- hugh karl gallagher (hughkarl@uq.net.au), July 12, 1999.