Like Basho did, and as Ms Downer shows us SHE’S done - walking from Tokyo to the Northern Wilds of the island - since he’s retired, Mike has walked phenomenal distances alone EVERY DAY. You know, my longtime neighbour Mike keeps moving, too. Until we see this Sphinx’s riddle really is NONE OF OUR BUSINESS.

Head on and full blast!īut we will all keep going. There’s only empty, full, shocking, calming, ordinary, supernatural daily life. We follow the quest to the end in order to forget about our self, because we will finally see all paths to our self have no meaning. Seeing into your true nature means seeing there is NO tangible true nature to the Self. So what is, exactly, the Narrow Road to the Deep North? If you said it’s a geographical metaphor for the Quest for Meaning, I think you’re right.Īnd what’s the End of this Narrow Road? Why, obviously, forgetting about ALL our quests! Her degree of fitness must be superb, unlike me, a stodgy old-timer. So she undertook to take on - alone and on foot - this fabled Japanese road into its deep north. She shows us the doughty and ruggedly individualistic - stemming, naturally, from its insularity - character of Japan.Īnd she writes fiction about Japan as well - the Age of the Shogun included - that must be pretty darned good, with her innate grasp of what goes into the fixings of a highly individual character. I think by now Everyone has - or has seen the video.Īnd what James Clavell did for my own ancient generation back in the seventies, Ms Downer is doing now for the younger folk. A Londoner, her chosen field of expertise is all things Japanese.Īnd the books she writes! If this one is any indication, they’re wonderfully entertaining.

The narrow road in the deep north