Session 14: Mujōkan / mono no aware: V: Government changes; Buddhist reforms; Tale of Heike I

Topics

◊ Introduction of essay or project
❖ Transition from the Heian period to the Kamakura period
❖ Buddhist reforms of the mid-13th century
❖ The Tale of Heike, general introduction
❖ The Tale of Heike, opening paragraph
❖ The Tale of Heike, individuals: Kiyomori, Hotoke, Ario, Shunkan

Thoughts—read before class, revisit for tests

Government change: The Heian power structure breaks up and various parties vie for control. The Fujiwara lose the power struggle, in the sense that they lose the near full control they once enjoyed. The Taira and Minamoto assume power, turn on each other, and the Taira are in control for a period of time. The Minamoto, however, win control of the country over the long term. The war that leads to their ascendency to power takes place 1118-85, and is the topic of the version of the Tale of Heike that we read.

Buddhist reforms: Dynamic changes in Japanese Buddhism lead to centuries of artistic and cultural expression that are profoundly influenced by the principles of Buddhism. Among the more prominent premodern practices that has such influence are Noh drama and cha no yu.

A second perspective on mujōkan: By structuring the class as I have, I am suggesting that expressions of mujōkan in literature are significantly different in the post-Buddhist reforms era. However, we shouldn't forget that it is not surprising that the theme would have different emphasis and presentation between onnade literature of the Heian women aristocrats and "gunki monogatari" (軍記物語) / "military tales" written with mixed Japanese-Chinese, by men, and for a diverse audience, including more variety of social classes than those of the onnade literature.

Read for mujōkan and aware primarily; don't worry that much about the historical narrative in its details. That being said, if you can't keep Taira and Minamoto straight, the work lacks impact and we are reading for impact.

Required—to be completed for today's session

✓ Review the chart giving the layout of Japan's middle periods: Middle Periods (Japan)

✓ Review the entry on the terms page for mujōkan.

✓ Read, in McCullough's Genji & Heike, the introduction and all sections included for Chapters 1-4. (The introduction helps situate the text for you. It is not, however, tested.) *In the Heike folder on bSpace is a scan of McCullough's Genji & Heike table of contents because Heike is subdivided into sections within the chapters and we are reading only about 30-35 percent of the original. That means sections are dropped. If you were reading this book online or from a complete translation, and followed my guidelines you will be reading far more than is assigned. (Of course, that is wonderful.) By looking at the scanned table of contents, you can see which sections are assigned.

✓ Read the below. It is the first paragraph of The Tale of Heike and exceptionally important in setting the tone and theme of the work. It is radically reduced in McCullough's abridged version:

The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the śāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.

(祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響あり。娑羅雙樹の花の色、盛者必衰のことわりをあらはす。おごれる人も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢のごとし。たけき者も遂にほろびぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。)

In a distant land, there are the examples set by Zhao Gao of Qin, Wang Mang of Han, Zhu Yi of Lian, and Lushan of Tang, all of them men who prospered after refusing to be governed by their former lords and sovereigns, but who met swift destruction because they disregarded admonitions, failed to recognize approaching turmoil, and ignored the nation’s distress. Closer to home, there have been Masakado of Shōei, Sumitomo of Tengyō, Yoshichika of Kōwa, and Nobuyori of Heiji, every one of them proud and mighty. But closest of all, and utterly beyond the power of mind to comprehend or tongue to relate, is the tale of Taira no Ason Kiyomori, the Rokuhara Buddhist Novice and Former Chancellor.

(trans. Helen C. McCullough)

"Gion Shōja bells" How do temple bells sound in general?

• Example One is a good example of the "after tone" (YouTube): お寺の鐘 Temple's Big Bell
• Example Two is a good example of a proper strike by a Buddhist monk (YouTube). This is loud so be careful not to blow out your earphones or laptop speakers: 深大寺の鐘

Multimedia notes

❖ None.

Links

⇢ The YouTubes mentioned above.

⇢ See my web site for chapter summaries and color-coded names to help keep track who is on which side: Main navigation page

Other

A one-page introductory PDF file on the major Buddhist reformers of the Kamakura period is on bSpace as Kamakura Buddhist Reformers

Terms and such mentioned this day that are not otherwise in an obvious place on the web site, the powerpoints, the assigned reading, etc. (to help with capturing items mentioned, perhaps quickly, in class, not for test purposes)

tariki (他力) / jiriki (自力)= "self-power" "other power"; Confessions of Lady Nijō (Towazugatari)