The Silence of the Gods Shusaku Endo and Kenzaburo Oe

 Richard Dawkins, in his book "The God Delusion" published in 2007, scientifically examined the concept of God and supernatural religion. He concluded that the existence of God cannot be proven scientifically and that it is not beneficial for society to believe in God.

Natural sciences have provided insights into the origins of life, the birth of humanity, the vast universe, and the microscopic world of atoms. They have also unraveled the mysteries of genetics, body structures, and brain functions. However, unanswered questions remain regarding the issues of life and death, the process of dying, the fear and anxiety that arise from the depths of our hearts, the pursuit of inner peace, the secrets of spiritual enlightenment and salvation, the meaning of existence, the right way to live, and what constitutes a meaningful and worthy life. These are the questions that science has yet to provide answers for, and religion has traditionally addressed them.

The concept of God has existed since ancient times. In Homer's "Iliad," it is stated that human life and death are determined by the whims of the gods. People believed that survival on the battlefield was due to the protection of the gods. Zeus, as the sky god, controlled the weather and determined the outcome of battles. Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, aided heroes, while Apollo, the god of music and the sun, instilled courage in them. 

People believed that their heightened fighting spirit and creative ideas were influenced by the gods, and even their desires were seen as external forces that could be expelled. Humans were considered playthings of the gods, at their mercy.

Later, Jesus Christ was born and the teachings of divine love spread through his disciples, eventually becoming the foundation of Christianity, the religion of Europe.

 Buddhism, on the other hand, originated in the 5th century BCE with the teachings of Buddha, born on the banks of the Ganges River. It preached the path to liberation from suffering, with concepts such as the Noble Eightfold Path, the afterlife, egolessness, and compassion. Scriptures based on these teachings were preserved in written form and spread widely across the Asian world. Thus, gods were born and worshipped by people, with world religions at the center.

Christianity arrived in Japan during the Sengoku period when Francis Xavier landed in Kagoshima and began missionary activities, quickly gaining followers among feudal lords and commoners. However, Christianity faced persecution under the Tokugawa regime. It was during this time that Endo Shusaku's novel "Silence," published in 1966, depicted the story of Rodrigues, a Portuguese priest who infiltrated Japan and entered a hidden Christian village in Nagasaki with the guidance of a Japanese man named Kichijiro. Rodrigues eventually faced capture by the authorities and was forced to renounce his faith, questioning the divinity of the Japanese Christians' beliefs.

　

Subsequently,Shusaku  Endo  continued to write numerous novels exploring 

the existence of God, religion, and the inner struggles of human beings. In his novel "Deep River" published at the age of 70, he portrayed individuals burdened by guilt and fear of death, seeking ways to escape and find meaning in life, as well as their desire for the reincarnation and rebirth of their departed loved ones.

 The story follows a group of people who embark on a journey to India, where they encounter the reasons why people seek faith and how religions provide answers. The novel suggests that beyond the realm of conscious awareness lies something that our spirits cannot grasp, an entity capable of engulfing the ashes of any deceased individual, offering salvation to the soul—an exploration of the meaning of religion.

"He is ugly, devoid of dignity, miserable, and shabby.

He is despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows,"He is ugly, devoid of dignity, miserable, and shabby.

He is despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows,

acquainted with grief.

He was despised, and we did not esteem him.

Surely, he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

　Before 1970,  Kenzaburo  Oe emerged as a prominent writer and critical intellectual figure against the prevailing government of that time. Eventually, his novels began to explore the theme of salvation of the soul and delved into the issues of the human heart in a godless world.

'I traveled the land of men, both men and women. And I heard with my ears and saw with my eyes the terrifying things that wanderers on this cold earth have known. And there, a baby is born in the midst of joy. It is a child conceived in profound sorrow, yet it gladly harvests the fruits sown in bitter grief. If the baby were a boy, an aged woman would receive him, nailing him to a rock, and her cry would be received in a golden chalice.' 

　　　　　　- The Traveler of Knowledge, Blake

In 1984, within the novel ‘How to Kill a Tree' in the story 'The Forgiveness of Sins and Bluegrass,' the narrator, alongside the mystical philosopher Blake's philosophy of forgiveness, recalls his childhood experiences of being abducted by Japanese mythology, vanishing spirits of the forest, and the hidden realm. He felt drawn to the immense power from the darkness. Five days after emerging from the forest, I was found, and my mother gave me a drink made from forgiveness grass. While drinking that forgiveness grass and continuing to sleep, I felt healed.

 At the age of 20, I visited the homeland with my son Hikaru, where the primordial forest existed, heading toward the spiritual world of the ancient Japanese forest village. Gradually, the emotions of sin started to dissipate.

In 1989, in the novel ‘No consolation in Life' seeking a way to overcome personal hardships and find meaning in his own life, the narrator turns to religious literature and begins to embrace a religious way of living. Eventually, she joins a Christian cult group and publishes a story about becoming a saint after death. From 1980 onwards, Oe unfolds stories that seek the salvation of souls in the spiritual realm, intertwined with the issues of Japan's environment and contemporary society.

By the end of the 20th century, various cult groups, including Aum Shinrikyo, were gaining followers. They questioned their followers, asking if they were genuinely contemplating their own lives, living earnestly, or satisfied with living a haphazard life, growing old and dying. People joined these groups with the belief that they could acquire mystical experiences through training. 

Later"In his 2002 novel, 'Somersault,' Kenzaburo  Oe depicts the regeneration of the soul through mystical experiences and the model of Aum Shinrikyo. It tells the story of a certain new religious group, exploring both their present and past narratives. Through transcendent and spiritual sublime experiences, the novel raises the question of whether the crisis of the mind and body can be resolved through their healing power.

"

Drawing from Western mysticism, Kenzaburo Oe crafts a world where Japanese religious tales unfold amidst the verdant valleys of secluded villages nestled within the forest. It presents a portrayal of an era stripped of deities, offering a more profound religious perspective.