MONICA KAKKAR: HAIKU

01

solo in spring peace—

the Buddhā Shākyamuni

brims totality

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02

ocean of oneness

buoys a myriad lanterns—

vista on Vesak

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03

follow his footsteps

faraway from the rat race . . .

daybreak in Deer Park

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NOTES

01

All spring season word, kigo 季語: spring peace, nodoka 長閑 *Nodoka has long been used in Japanese poetry and is usually uttered even by the non-haiku writing population on a fine day, “nodoka na fuukei desu nee,” this is such a peaceful landscape.

Seasonless topic, muki 無季: Buddhā Shākyamuni, O-Shaka-sama, Shaka, Norai 釈迦様  釈迦、如来

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02

Early summer season word, kigo 季語: Saga Dawa / Vesak (The Buddhā’s Birthday)*

Seasonless topic, muki 無季: sea, ocean, umi 海

*In 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists made Vesak an international holiday to be celebrated on the first full moon of May. In 1999 the United Nations recognized Vesak as an international holiday.

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03

All autumn season word, kigo 季語: deer, shika 鹿 しか

Seasonless topic, muki 無季: daybreak, dayspring, dawn, akebono 曙

*The Deer Park; Magadaava (where Buddhā delivered his first sermon), rokuyaon 鹿野苑, ろくやおん. The Deer Park in Sārnāth near Vārānasī in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India is a major pilgrimage site. After his awakening under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, Prince Siddhartha became the Buddhā (the enlightened one). The Buddhā went to Deer Park where he delivered his first sermon on the four noble truths on the full moon of Āsādha. It is celebrated in July as Guru Pūrṇimā in India and as Āsāḷha Pūjā and Dhamma Day or Dharma Day worldwide.

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Bio
Monica Kakkar (she/her/hers) values her freedom, peace, silence, and solitude. Her glass is full, her mind is open, her spirit is oneness, and her heart overflows with gratitude. She enjoys location independence. She explores, expresses, connects, and celebrates through haiku, senryū, sciku, and short poetry. Her haiku have won awards, reached the final shortlist, been translated in three languages, and published in four continents.  YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), among others.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicakakkar/

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Monica Kakkar (she/her/hers)

India and United States of America

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicakakkar/