Includes bibliographical references (p. 206).

Kokudaya Jåuzaburåo (1719-1777) -- Nakane Tåori (1694-1765) -- åOtag aki Rengetsu (1791-1875).

"True stories of three little-known Japanese of the Edo period who l ived lives of sublime selflessness and purity, blurring the boundary be tween self and others. Merchant Kokudaya Jåuzaburåo comes up with a bri lliant scheme to rescue his dying town from poverty. He and others go d eep into debt, risking all to raise money for the cash-strapped daimyo and receive annual interest in return. Prodigious scholar and former Ze n monk Nakane Tåori refuses a government post and elects to live in abj ect poverty, weaving sandals. Though perhaps the age's greatest poet, h e throws his works into the fire and ends his days teaching in a countr y village. åOtagaki Rengetsu, a noted beauty in Kyoto, loses two husban ds and five children. She becomes a Buddhist nun and devotes her life t o poetry and pottery. With her savings she feeds the hungry and builds a bridge across Kamo River"--Publisher's website.

Translated from the original Japanese into English.