ラスト シーン 三島由紀夫の豊饒の海

　人は言葉によって、進化し、生存してきた。そして言葉によって感情を動かされる。人間は、意味のある言葉の連なりだけでなく、意味のない、意味不明の言葉の連なりにも意味を見つけて、理解しようとする。もし宇宙人なりAIが言葉を連ね、物語を創作したとき、その創作者の意図を読者である人間はどのように想像するのか。意味のない世界には生きられない人間にとって高度な言語を操るAIとの付き合いはなかなかむつかしい。　

 「いいえ、本多さん、私は俗世で受けた恩愛は何一つ忘れはしません。しかし松枝清顕さんといふ方は、お名をきいたこともありません。そんなお方は、もともとあらしやらなかったと違ひますか？何やら本多さんさんが、あるやうに思うてあらしやつて、実ははじめから、どこにもをられなんだ、といふことではありませんか？」

門跡の目ははじめてやや強く本多を見据えた。

「それも心々ですさかい」

「これと云って奇巧のない、閑雅な、明るくひらいた御庭である。数珠を操るやうな蝉の声がここを領している。そのほかには何一つ音とてなく、寂寞を極めている。この庭には何もない。記憶もなければ何もないところへ、自分は来てしまったと本多は思った。

庭は夏の日ざかりの日を浴びてしんとしている。」

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　豊饒の海　第四巻　天人五衰

もう一つの構想

　本多はすでに老境。その身辺に、いろいろ一、二、三巻の主人公らしき人物出没せるも、それらはすでに使命を終りたるものにて、贋物也。四巻を通じ、主人公を探索すれども見つからず。つひに七十八歳で死せんとすとき、十八歳の少年現はれ、突然、天使の如く、永遠の青春に輝けり。（今までの主人公が解脱にいたって、消失し、輪廻をのがれしとは考へられず。第三巻女主人公は悲惨なる死を遂げし也）

この少年のしるしを見て、本多はいたくよろこび、自己の解脱の契機をつかむ。

思へば、この少年、この第一巻よりの少年は阿頼耶識の権化、アラヤ識そのもの、本多の種子たるアラヤ識なりし也。

本多死なんとして解脱に入る時、光明の空へ船出せんとする少年の姿、窓ごしに見ゆ。

「豊饒の海は私は小説家になって以来考えつづけていた世界解釈の小説を書きたかったのである。幸いにして私は日本人であり、幸いにして輪廻の思想は身近にあった。」

「その夢と転生の主題、そのかすかな疲れた風情のある文体、その衰えた佳人のような姿に魅せられて、私は、これを基にして、どうしても厖大な現代の「浜松中納言物語」を書いてみたい、という嗜欲にかられるにいたったのである。」

こうして、豊饒の海は製作され、６０年にわたる本多の清顕の輪廻転生の物語は終末を迎える。この結末の二つの構想、悟りに至るか、あるいは虚無のままで終わらせるかが構想された。邯鄲の夢の物語あるいは江戸時代の上田秋成の雨月物語、あるいはエッシャーの絵のように、見方によって世界は反転する。多くの物語の終焉の場面をどのようにするのかを決定する、作者の判断は、どこから生まれるのか。物語自体が虚構ならどのようにでも終焉は描かれるのか。その結論を生み出す原動力はどこからどのように生まれるのか。

　三島由紀夫は、１７才の作「花ざかりの森」からすでに、古典作品や、古典の世界を現代小説にリメイクした作品を書いている。その後も日本文学小史の中で、文化とは、感じ方、生き方、審美眼など全てを無意識のうちに支配し、危機の発見に及んで、強く成員の行動を規制し、その行動を様式化するところのものである。その考えから、古事記からはじまる日本文学史をその時代の文化意志として書き始めた。

　紀貫之の創り出した古今和歌集の中には、「花に鳴くうぐいすや、水に住む蛙などの自然の擬人化が認められる。そして、古代の無秩序な荒ぶる魂は、新しい秩序の世界では排除され、古典主義的なみやびの世界を打ち立てた。和歌によって神秘的感動を詩にし、祭政一致の文化の形式を生み出し、宮廷の勅撰集は、政治支配と結びつく。」　

　９世紀の平安時代、「凌雲集」「文華秀麗集」「経国集」の勅撰の３つの詩集ができた。この漢字による文化を否定した日本語の和歌集、古今集は紀貫之らによって編集され、９０５年初の天皇勅撰の和歌集となる。「古今和歌集で、日本語は完成したと言える。」　「この勅撰和歌集を支える最高の文化集団があり、共通の文化意志を持ち、共通の生活の洗練をたのしみ、それらの集積の上に、千百十一首を成立せしめたのだった。或る疑いようのない「様式」というものが、ここに生じたとてふしぎはない。」と三島由紀夫は書いている。

「藤原定家が十九歳の時に、「紅旗征伐非吾事」、つまり紅い旗をかざして敵を討つような勇猛果敢な行為は自分のやるこっちゃないんだと、自分は歌道に専念して、繊細優美なる芸術に一生を捧げるんだという決心をした、それを日記の「明月記」に書いているんでありますが・・・　　　」新古今和歌集の選者藤原定家を小説化したいと語っていた三島由紀夫は、藤原定家とは異なる道を選んだ、結局、日本文学小史で新古今和歌集や藤原定家についての小説を書くことはなかった。

　国学は江戸時代の契沖の研究から始まる。契沖は万葉集や古事記などのかなを研究し、歴史的かな遣いを実証的に研究し、さらには、秘伝の歌の研究から、歌の精神の中に、日本古来の考えを見つけようとした。その業績の後を継いだ本居宣長は、この契沖を高く評価し、古事記の翻訳を通して、仏教や儒教の外来イデオロギーではない日本古来の考え、国学を完成した。この国学者たちの努力は、幕末になって倒幕の政治と結びついて、天皇制を復活させる復古イデオロギーとなった。国学者の中では芸術に重きを置く文人主義の歌学派と日本主義を主張する皇国イデオロギー派に分かれた。しかし両者の違いはほんの僅かしかなかった。昭和の時代に三島由紀夫は皇国主義の道を選んだ。

　AIのない時代の１９６４年（昭和３９年）三島由紀夫は「美しい星」というSFを書いた。このとき、「人間の形をした宇宙人の物語ではなく、観念の上で、自分の存在が宇宙人であると確信する人たち、その人間からなら「確かに」見える円盤を描く物語なのである。」と語っている。当時から見られる、観念の問題、唯心論の考えは豊饒の海の、第三巻、暁の寺で、その解説をし、豊饒の海はそのままの結末を迎える。

　

Buddhist Issa

   

  

The sacred touch of Gion's hallowed land,

Melodies of temple bells, life's command.

Sala blossoms, hues aflame,

Expose the fleeting glory, a hollow game.

The Tale of the Heike, a representative lyrical poem in Japan,was recited by a biwa player. Japanese literature has produced numerous works influenced by Buddhist thought since the Heian period. 

Around the same time, Saigyo expressed the Buddhist concept of impermanence in tanka poetry, which later evolved into Matsuo Basho's haiku during the Edo  period, 

earning global acclaim.

Sicken on a journey,

My dreams go wandering round

Withered field.

Basho aimed for great heights in his haiku, drawing inspiration from Zen Buddhism, particularly the Rinzai Zen school.   He Aimed spiritual height.His poems were translated into english and other languages, spreading worldwide.

Along this road,

Goes no one,

This autumn eve.

People speak words, write sentences, convey things, and through language, construct, organize, and create a meaningful world within time and space. Emotions are expressed through songs, paintings, and poetry. From poetry, tanka emerged by reducing the number of words, and further compressing the language to its extreme, haiku was born. When reducing it from 31 syllables to 17 syllables, the characters and spaces resonate like ringing a bell, creating a world of enlightenment where parts harmonize with the whole. The characters are compressed, transcending logic and reaching the deep recesses of the mind, becoming a Zen koan. Compared to explanatory waka, when the characters of haiku are further compressed, they undergo a radical transformation at the singularity point.

The old pond,

 A frog  leaps in,

Splash of the water.

Louis Kahn stated, "Space is that which envelops oneself, extending in all directions. Architecture is what gives it definition." Furthermore, Sen no Rikyu compressed this space, transforming it into a sacred and Zen-like world through the Japanese tea ceremony.

Price believed that haiku is the essence of all Eastern cultures. Haiku should be understood from the perspective of Zen. It is an inexpressible character that cannot be described in words, seen as embodying Zen. Just as the tea room compresses space to its minimum, haiku compresses language to its minimum, becoming Zen. This had an influence on American counterculture, including writers like Salinger.

How many  columns of clouds,

had risen and crumbled

Over the mountain of moon.

In the great silence,

permeating rocks

cicadas chorus.

 

                                                        Basshou 

In silence deep,  

Beneath   the lake it lies

 The  peaks of clouds.

                                                        Issa

 

Kobayashi Issa was born in 1763 in Shinshu. At the age of 15, he went to work in Edo (now Tokyo) and became the third-generation successor of the Katsushika school of painting in his twenties. At the age of 27, he left Edo and embarked on a journey to the Tohoku region. At the age of 30, after six years of traveling through Shikoku, Kyushu, and other western regions, he released the "Kansei Sangen Kikou" (A Travel Account of the Kansei Era) to the world.

A frog, softly asleep, 

cradled by the hand 

On the verdant plum tree.

O snail, ascend with gentle pace,

Your journey's peak 

Mount Fuji's grace.

Issa

Animals such as frogs and snails, as well as insects and plants, take on human-like qualities, sensing and perceiving the universe. The haiku that Seymour (Salinger) loved and chanted was 

Calm and serene

Looking at the far mountains

A frog.

A windy fall night

Through  the rickety window

The sound  of whistling.

Matsuo Basho was influenced by Zen philosophy, particularly Rinzai Zen, while Kobayashi Issa believed in the teachings of Shinran. Additionally, while Basho came from a samurai background, Issa was born into a peasant family. Issa saw Buddha nature in all people, not just frogs and insects, and he gave voices and songs to all living creatures, much like the chirping of chicks.

During the period from Houreki to Tenmei, the culture of Edo flourished, and there were many haikai poets. A cultural world that transcended the samurai, peasant, and merchant classes was created. In 1806 (Bunka 3), when Issa was 45 years old, the ban on heterodox learning in the Kansei era was issued. Zhu Xi's Confucianism was established as orthodox, while teachings of Yangming and ancient literature were considered heretical and banned from education by the shogunate. 

Peasants were forced to return to the land from the cities. As a result of the influence of Zhu Xi's teachings, those who didn't have fixed occupations, excluding the samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants, found themselves in a narrow world.

In 1814 (Bunka 11), at the age of 52, Issa married Kiku. They had three sons and one daughter, but they died at a young age.

Give me the moon,

Insisting

The child pouts.

From the Bunka era onward, Issa settled in Kashiwabara, Shinshu, away from Edo. In 1818 (Bunsei 2), he compiled "Ora ga Haru" (My Spring). This was published posthumously.

 A happy new year

Well maybe just a little

Just another day.

Crawling, laughing, 

 Two from one—

Since this morning.

Deepening his faith in Amida Buddha, surrendering himself before Amida regardless of whether it be hell or paradise, it all depends on your will. Only requesting your benevolence.

Surrendering all, 

at the twilight of the year,

In your hands, the course of fate.

Issa's "My Spring" was not written from the perspective of an awakened individual, but from the viewpoint of an ordinary person, as a believer in Shinran's teaching of Other Power.

 He lived a married life, believing in the teachings, and resided in Kashiwabara, Shinshu. Issa, who was once a wild and ordinary man in his youth, married at the age of 52 and experienced the loss of his wife and children before returning to a solitary life at the age of 61.

Spring returns

Stop one folly,

 Another folly returns.

After remarrying, in 1827 (Bunsei 10) at the age of 65, his house in Kashiwabara was destroyed in a major fire. He passed away in that storage house.

On charred land

Embers glow,

As fleas dance.

Nara Buddhism and Manyoushuu

In Nara's ancient realm, blossoms bright,

Their fragrance wafts like a gentle flight,

The capital's charm, oh, how it gleams,

Now, in full bloom                                                                                                 

 Ancient Japan was a world of sound, an oral communication society. Chinese characters were introduced from the continent, leading to the birth of Man'yōgana, a script used for phonetic reading, essentially characters to be heard. Around the same time, Buddhism was introduced to Japan as a philosophical language expressing worldviews and perspectives on life and death.

Ancient Buddhism questioned how the world is perceived and how consciousness can be controlled. Humans possess a level of consciousness not found in insects or animals, and those with this consciousness have recognized Brahman (the universe) and Atman (the self), as described in Hinduism.

Brahman refers to the ultimate principle or reality that forms the entire universe and includes all living and non-living entities. On the other hand, Atman represents the innermost self or true self in human consciousness. "Brahman Atman Aikya" is a central concept in the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, expressing the thought that Brahman (the ultimate reality of the universe) and Atman (the individual self) are essentially one. 

This view of the universe shows that the principle of the universe and the principle of the individual coincide, conveying the idea that "all is one, and that one is all", and that the macrocosm and the microcosm align.

In ancient Brahmanism and early Buddhism in India, time is considered as Samsara, or cyclic existence. Humans, influenced by the deeds (Karma) of their past lives, continue to wander in this cyclic world. Recognition and enlightenment of the self (Atman) allows for liberation from this Karma and entry into the world of Nirvana. Liberation from the world of time is nothing other than eternity

In Christianity, it is said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." God is an eternal being who creates time itself, and history is crafted according to God's plan. "Human beings are the unifiers of time and eternity." Humans dream of creating a utopia in the future and strive to make it a reality.

In ancient China, the cosmic order, or "Tian Dao," was seen as perpetually cycling with a certain order. When the order of Heaven is inherent in society, it becomes an ideal society, and when it is inherent in a person, they become a sage.

Ancient Buddhism and Hinduism acknowledge the existence of individual souls (Atman), but Buddhism teaches the concept of "Anatman," or "no-self." Buddha renounced his worldly life and undertook ascetic practices, aiming to attain the immortal Atman. At one point, he realized Anatman (no-self) and became an enlightened one, a Buddha. The self is understood as a product of a series of momentary sensations, emotions, thoughts, etc., all interacting and influencing each other. All these are seen as illusions, with beauty transforming into ugliness, love into hate, pleasure into pain, constantly changing. In other words, in Buddhism, what we perceive as ourselves or our ego is merely a series of changing states. Understanding this impermanence leads to liberation.

A Buddha is one who has realized the illusion of the self (Atman), experienced the no-self (Anatman), and entered Nirvana. The path to overcoming ignorance, the cause of suffering, is The eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is indicative of this way to liberation.

 The Eightfold Path consists of right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. It is the path that Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva used this knowledge to be liberated from suffering and to achieve enlightenment.

Subsequently, Buddha's enlightenment continued to live in the memories of those who heard his words. When those words were recorded, interpretations led to the emergence of sects. This gave rise to Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, and texts such as the Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Heart Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra.

Buddhism, which arrived in Japan in the 6th century, received the support of the government and became the state religion from the latter half of the 7th century. In the 8th century, during the Tenpyo era, European, Indian, and Chinese cultures flowed into the capital Heijo-kyo via the Silk Road. Many items preserved in the Shosoin Treasure Repository were brought to Japan. Buddhism, centered around the Avatamsaka Sutra, became the Buddhism of the emperor and the royal family, and thus the state religion. Prayers and sutra readings were performed, grand Buddhist architectures were built, various colored Buddhist tools were displayed, and magnificent Buddha statues were erected.

In the latter half of the Nara period, Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi, was recognized by the ruling government and promoted Buddhism. He opened a training ground for esoteric Buddhism on Mount Koya and eventually designated Toji in Kyoto as the fundamental dojo, renaming it Kyoogokokuji. Every New Year, rites were performed at the imperial palace to pray for peace in the world and the emperor's well-being.

Kukai's Buddhism is described as follows in his work "The Ten Stages of Mind of the Secret Mandala": As stages of consciousness, from the first stage of the ignorant ordinary person, the sense of morality sprouts in the second stage. In the third stage, a religious mind like that of a child is born, and a sense of peace arises. After passing through fearlessness, in the fourth stage, there are those who hear the teachings of the Buddha and awaken. The fifth stage is those who awaken on their own without relying on the teachings of the Buddha. In the sixth stage, a heart of altruism is born. In the seventh and eighth stages, one reaches the world of the Lotus Sutra, where everything in Mahayana Buddhism is pure, non-opposing, and as it is. The ninth stage is reaching the highest level of exoteric teachings, the Huayan School. The tenth stage is the world of esoteric Buddhism, reaching the secret mandala, enlightenment within oneself. This state of being one with the Bodhisattva mind is considered the secret majestic mind.

To reach this ideal state, one should live a life approaching and imitating Buddha. Through this, one unifies oneself with the Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha). In the Heart Sutra, the famous mantra, "Go, go, go beyond, go thoroughly beyond, and establish yourself in enlightenment," is spoken.

In the concept of "Sokushin-Jobutsu," achieving Buddhahood in this very body is done through rituals and prayers. By burning Goma fire, chanting mantras, bowing towards the vividly colored Mandala of the main deity, making offerings, and concentrating on these actions, these teachings became popular as they were easy to understand for the Japanese emperors, nobles, and common people. On the flip side, this led to Buddhism becoming a worldly religion that prioritized rituals and prayers, drifting away from its original status as a global religion.

As the Nara period ended and the Heian period began, Buddhism evolved into a form more suited to the nobility, focusing on worldly prayers for healing from illnesses and dreams of a resplendent Pure Land in the afterlife, imbued with the faith of Jodo (Pure Land Buddhism). The impermanence and world-weariness in Buddhism became expressions of worldly disappointment due to heartbreak stories and loss of power, leading to an intertwining of the Heian nobility's aesthetic sensibilities and the Buddhist worldview. This saw a beauty in transience and fleeting things, thus creating an undercurrent of 'hakanaki' (transience) and 'mono no aware' (the pathos of things) in literary works.

"For this world now, if it is joyous, in the next world, even if I become a bug or a bird, I wouldn't mind." - Otomo no Tabito, Man’yōshū

In the era of the Man'yōshū poets, if the present world was joyous, they did not mind even if they became a bug or a bird in the next life. It was a time when the Buddhist concepts of reincarnation and the transience of this world were absent, and the enjoyment of the present world was the mainstream.

はじめに言葉ありき 天平時代と仏教

 あおによし　奈良の都は　咲く花の　薫ふがごとく　今盛りなり　

（青丹吉寧　　楽乃京師者　咲花乃　　薫如　　　　　今盛有）

　　　　　　　　　　太宰府の次官　　小野老　　　　　　万葉集　巻三　　３２８番歌

　古代日本は音の世界、オーラル　コミュニケーション世界であった。大陸から漢字が入ってきて、音読用の文字として聞くための文字、万葉仮名が生まれた。同じ頃に、仏教は世界観や死生観をあらわす思想の言葉として日本に伝来した。

　古代仏教は世界をどのようにとらえ、いかに意識をコントロールするかを問題にした。人には、虫や動物にはない意識が生まれ、意識を持った人間はヒンズー教でいうブラーフマン（宇宙）とアートマン（自己）を認識した。

　ブラフマンは全ての宇宙を形成し、生命を持つ全ての生物と無生物を含む究極の原理または現実を指す。一方、アートマンは人間の意識の最も奥にある自己、真我をしめす。「梵我一如」（Brahman Atman Aikya）は、ヒンズー教のアドヴァイタ・ヴェーダンタ学派の中心的な概念で、ブラフマン（宇宙の究極的な実相）とアートマン（個々の自己）は本質的に一つであるという思想を表している。宇宙原理と個人原理は一致する「全ては一つであり、その一つは全てであるマクロコスモスとミクロコスモスは一致するという宇宙観を示している。

　古代インドのバラモン教や原始仏教では、時間は輪廻（サムサーラ）で考えられる。人間は前世の業（カルマ）を因として、輪廻の世界をさまよい続ける。この因縁の世界は自我（アートマン）を認識し、悟ることによって、このカルマから解脱し涅槃（ニルバーナ）の世界へ到達できる。時間の世界からの離脱が永遠に他ならないとした。

　キリスト教では、「はじめに言葉ありき、言葉は神と共にあり、言葉は神であった。」

神は時間そのものを創造する、超時間の永遠的存在で、歴史は神の計画で造られる。「人間は時間と永遠との統一者である。」そして、人間は未来にユートピアをつくることを夢見、実現に努力する。

　古代中国では、宇宙秩序、天道は一定の秩序をもって永遠に循環する。天の秩序が社会に内在するとき理想社会となり、人に内在するとき聖人になる。

　古代仏教、ヒンズー教は個々の魂（アートマン）の存在を認めるが、仏教は「無我」の概念を教え、これを無自我、またはアナートマンという。釈迦は出家し苦行し、不死のアートマンを体得しようとした。ある時アナートマン（無我）を悟り覚者（ブッダ）となった。自我は一連の瞬間的な感覚、感情、思考など、互いに関連し影響し合う過程の産物と捉えられ、これらは全て虚構で、美は醜悪に変わるし、愛は憎に、快は苦に、常に変化し続けている。つまり、仏教では、我々が自分、自我と感じているものは実際には一連の変化する状態にすぎない。この無常を知ることが解脱である。

　仏陀とは、我（アートマン）の虚妄を悟り、無我（アナートマン）の体験を得て涅槃（ニルバーナ）に入った覚醒者である。　そして、苦しみの原因である無知を克服するための道、つまり「八正道」をしめす。八正道とは生見、正思、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定、で観自在菩薩がこの知識を使って苦しみから解放され、悟りを得る道である。

　その後、ブッダの悟りはその言葉を聞いた人々の記憶に生き続づけた。その言葉が記録されるとき、その解釈をめぐって、分派が生まれた。小乗仏教と大乗仏教、法華経と華厳経そして般若経と維摩経などの書物が生まれた。

　６世紀に日本に渡来した仏教は７世紀の後半から、政権の支持を受け、国家宗教となっていった。８世紀の天平時代、平城京にシルクロードを通じてヨーロッパ、インド文化や中国の文化が一斉に流入し、正倉院宝物堂にある品々が日本にもたらされた。華厳経を中心とした仏教は、天皇皇室の仏教、国家仏教となり、祈祷や読経そして壮大な伽藍や様々な色彩の仏具が飾られ、きらびやかな大仏の建造が行われた。　奈良時代の後半、空海は時の政権に認められ、布教を進める。高野山に密教の修行場を開き、やがて京都の東寺を根本道場として、教王護国寺と改める。そして毎年正月に、宮中で天下安泰と天皇の身体の安穏を祈る法会が行われた。

　空海は、「秘密曼陀羅十住心論」で以下のように述べている。意識の段階として第一段階の愚かな凡夫から、第二段階で道徳心が芽生え、第三段階の幼児のように宗教心が生まれ、安心感が生まれる。第四段階で、仏の教えを聞いて悟るもの、第五段階は、仏の教えに頼らず自ら悟るもの、第六段階で、利他の心が生まれ、第七、八段階で大乗仏教の一切のものは清浄で対立せず一如であるという法華経の世界に達し、第九段階が顕教の最高の段階、華厳宗に達する。第十が密教の世界で、自分の中にある悟り、秘密曼陀羅に至る。この菩薩心と一体となった状態が秘密荘厳心であるとした。

　では、その理想の境地に達するにはどうしたらいいのか。仏にならい、仏に近づく生きかたをする。これによって、大日如来と自己を合体させる。般若心経では「行け、行け、彼岸に行け、すべての人が悟りを開く」という有名な真言（マントラ）が語られる。

「即身成仏義」の中で、即身成仏は加持祈祷を行うことであり、護摩を焚き、口に真言（マントラ）を唱え、極彩色の曼陀羅本尊に向かって礼拝し、供養し、念じる。これらの教えは日本の天皇や貴族、庶民にもわかりやすく、流行していった。その反面、仏教本来の宗教精神とはかけ離れた、加持祈祷のみを重視する現世的宗教になっていく。

　奈良時代が終わり、平安時代になると、仏教は貴族仏教となり、より現世的な病気平癒を願う祈祷と、七色たなびく華やかな極楽浄土の世界を夢見る浄土信仰となる。仏教の無常感や厭世観は恋物語や権力の喪失による現世的な失意の表現となり、儚く、うつろうものに美を見出す平安貴族の美意識と仏教的世界が結びつき「はかなき」ものや「もののあはれ」が文学作品の底流を作ることとなる。

今の世にし　楽しくあらば　来む世には　虫にも鳥にも　われはなりなむ　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　万葉集　　　　　　大伴　旅人　

　万葉歌人にとって、現世が楽しければ、来世は、たとえ虫や鳥になっても構わないと、仏教的輪廻やこの世のはかなさのない、現世謳歌が時代の主流であった。

Legend of the Mythical Land: Gods and Buddhas

 About 10 minutes west of Tottori City on National Route 9, you'll find Shirousagi Beach, famous for its legend of the white rabbit, Inaba. Continuing westward, you'll come across Mt. Daisen and Yumigahaman Peninsula, associated with the legend of the divine ruler. If you proceed further west, you'll eventually reach Izumo Taisha, the Great Shrine of Izumo. This ancient region of Izumo, spanning from present-day Shimane Prefecture to Tottori Prefecture, is the setting for the legends of the powerful clans that once ruled there. It is said that Ōkuninushi no Mikoto governed the Izumo region before eventually transferring rulership to Amaterasu Ōmikami, the Sun Goddess.

Humans possess the remarkable ability to exchange their experiences through the medium of language. This exchange occurs through the art of conversation, and with the advent of written communication, its reach extends both across time and space, expanding the horizons of human interaction. It is in this expansive realm that records are born, and history takes its shape.

At the core of our understanding lies the profound act of ascribing meaning to our environment. This process, rooted in the rich tapestry of symbolic expression, forms the bedrock of human thought. It is within this realm of symbols that the lofty endeavors of the human spirit, encompassing the realms of religion, art, and science, find their genesis. 

Indeed, the very fabric of our existence rebels against a world devoid of significance, for we are driven to imbue events with purpose, weaving intricate cosmologies, worldviews, and societal narratives within the fabric of time and space.Mythology permeates every primal culture, playing a pivotal role in the construction of human symbolism. The divide between the mythical worldview and that of contemporary individuals is not as vast as one might think. Mythology is not merely a whimsical flight of fancy or a product of idle imagination. It was fashioned when humans sought to harness the overwhelming forces of nature surrounding them, when they embarked upon the endeavor to create civilization.

Humans cannot exist in a world devoid of meaning. Put differently, living without religion is an impossibility. Every individual, as well as society itself, harbors the notion of something unseen lurking behind natural phenomena—be it gods, supernatural abilities, or spirits. When we encounter extraordinary occurrences, we attribute meaning to them as the workings of supernatural beings or deities.

As language and consciousness emerged within humans, legends found expression in words, evolving into the narratives of mythology. Eventually, these tales were inscribed in written texts, carrying them forward to future generations.

During the 4th to 5th centuries, a wave of migrants from the continent and the Korean Peninsula arrived in Japan, bringing with them the introduction of Chinese characters. This marked a shift from the oral traditions of the Jomon period to the era of written language. Accounts like the "Records of the Wa People" found in the Wei Zhi, which mention figures like Queen Himiko and the realm of Yamatai, shed light on this period. In ancient Japan, the imperial clan, tracing their lineage back to the western regions and the Izumo clan, gradually subjugated other clans, thereby unifying the land and establishing their political authority in the Yamato region. It was during the reign of Emperor Keitai, the 26th monarch in the imperial lineage, that the ancient Yamato government began to solidify its power.

Once upon a time, during the age of gods, humans and deities coexisted as an inseparable whole. Greek mythology shares many similarities with Japanese mythology. The world was in a state of chaos, from which the goddess Gaia, the Earth, emerged alongside the sky god Uranus, creating the heavens and the earth. In this narrative, the gods behaved much like humans within nature, experiencing a range of emotions and driving the unfolding of stories. In Greece, humans could hear the voices of gods and, like puppets manipulated by them, engaged in battles and made decisions. On the other hand, in Japanese mythology, Izanami and Izanagi created the land of Japan, and gods were akin to humans, actively participating in the world.

In a similar vein to the Greek myth of Orpheus venturing into the underworld to retrieve his wife but breaking the promise not to look back, thus losing her, there is a tale in Japanese mythology where Izanagi goes to the realm of the dead to retrieve his deceased wife, Izanami. However, he witnesses a forbidden sight in the underworld, and upon escaping from Yomi, the land of the dead, Izanagi performs a purification ritual in the sunny lands. In Japan, according to mythology, Yomi was located at Iwaya no Yashiro in Izumo Province, serving as the boundary between the mortal realm and the underworld. Over time, with the advent of Buddhism, this realm of Yomi transformed into the subterranean realm known as "Ne-no-Kuni" or hell.

Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to three noble children: Amaterasu Ōmikami, who was tasked with ruling Takamagahara (the Heavenly Plains); Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, who presided over Yomotsukuni (the Land of Night); and Susanoo no Mikoto, who was given dominion over the seas. However, Susanoo, yearning to be reunited with his departed mother, Izanami, wept and lamented. His actions disrupted the sacred rituals of Amaterasu, leading to his expulsion from that land. Before heading to his place of exile, Susanoo visited Takamagahara to explain his intentions. Fearing that he might seize control of Takamagahara, Amaterasu armed herself and questioned why he was ascending. In response, Susanoo declared that he held no evil or malicious intent within his heart. It is in this story that we glimpse the essence of the pure heart, which has been revered in ancient Japan.

Subsequently, Susanoo, while being banished to the realm of Ne-no-Kuni, where he was seen as a malevolent deity disrupting agriculture, became a hero in the Izumo myth by slaying the fearsome Yamata-no-Orochi. Eventually, Ōnamuji, who rescued the peeled white rabbit, married Susanoo's daughter and established the land of Izumo. The story concludes with him relinquishing the rule of the land to Amaterasu.

The Kojiki, an ancient text, depicts the principles of action of the people and the gods. As symbols of extraordinary power, there are Tama and Kami. Kami encompasses not only noble, virtuous, and courageous beings but also includes malevolent, mysterious, and strange entities. Revered and awe-inspiring, they possess abilities beyond the ordinary, and everything from humans to birds, animals, mountains, rivers, and plants can be considered Kami. Through rituals and spells, the Tama is pacified and purged to ward off extraordinary blessings or calamities from everyday life. By calming the Tama and Kami, purifying with rites, and performing misogi, impurities and spiritual afflictions are cleansed. Alongside the purification of the spirit, impurities are washed away through the act of cleansing. This meaning of purification by misogi symbolizes the ancient prototype of thought in ancient Japan, which has been inherited by Shinto.

It is believed that these practices formed the basis of ancient Japanese thinking and were passed down to Shinto, thus becoming an integral part of the nation's cultural heritage.

By the 3rd century AD, a transition from pure sorcery to ritualistic practices became evident. It marked a shift from sorcerers dispelling calamities and inviting blessings through a world of fortune and misfortune, where humans defying the divine order faced disasters, equating them with sin and the birth of moral consciousness. This evolution led to a transformation in the supplication and worship of spirits into prayers and reverence directed towards the gods. From prayers to the gods, ceremonies gradually emerged as symbols of divine faith.

As sorcery transformed into ritual, the role of the Emperor evolved into the highest priest of Shinto, conducting ceremonies and rituals. Shinto priests were dispatched by the Emperor to oversee the operation of shrines and perform sacred rites, leading to the development of Shinto.

The Nihon Shoki, or "The Chronicles of Japan," records the existence of countless deities predating the introduction of Buddhism. Buddhism officially arrived in Japan around 552 AD when Emperor Kinmei received a set of Buddhist paraphernalia and scriptures as an offering from King Seong of Baekje. In the Nihon Shoki, it raises the question, "Shall we accept the appearance of the Buddha, which has never been seen before? Should we pay homage or not?" Soga no Umako, a powerful minister, proclaimed that Japan had no opposition to Buddhism. On the other hand, the Mononobe clan argued, "We should continue worshiping the 180 gods of heaven, earth, and the imperial ancestors throughout the four seasons. If we now begin to worship foreign gods, we may incur the wrath of our national gods." They opposed its acceptance.

 During that time, the Soga clan gained power over the Mononobe clan and officially recognized Buddhism in Japan.Supported by the Soga clan, Prince Shotoku, under his Seventeen-Article Constitution, implemented a policy that revered the Three Treasures of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Over time, the clan's Buddhism gradually transformed into a state religion, with the emperor serving as its protector. Within the Seventeen-Article Constitution, the existence of Japan as a nation and the authority of its politics were emphasized through Buddhist and universalistic principles of justice. In this manner, the indigenous beliefs of Japan found support in Buddhist ideology, spreading throughout the entire land.

Japanese animism and Haiku Birth of humans language

 "In all their glory, orchids bloom, under the daytime star so clear, mushrooms spring from the earth in bloom.”

                                                                                                     kyosi Takahama

Living organisms have evolved to perceive and adapt to various noises and information from the environment on Earth through their nervous systems and the five senses. Amoebas perceive and respond to pleasure and discomfort by approaching or distancing themselves from stimuli. Frogs perceive the world as being composed of rapidly moving shadows and instinctively catch prey or leap accordingly. As mammals, they recognize objects existing in space and act accordingly to feed and live. Herbivores move in search of food, plants or fodder, while carnivores move and hunt for those herbivores.

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humans and their primate counterparts, such gorillas, lived in the forests like their companions in the African savanna.While spatial awareness was well developed,the concept of time did not exist.To adapt to new environments outside of the African savanna ,Homo sapiens, human developed language.

Language cuts, fits, and organizes the world, allowing us to create infinite new things through the use of metaphors. This symbolic manipulation gave birth to a cosmology with space and time. Humans began to construct time in the same way they do with space, enabling them to reference the past, anticipate the future, and acquire the ability to prepare for it. The capacity to abstractly recall and conceptualize events that have never occurred, treating them as if they were real experiences, enabled the creation of the future.

This extends to imagining oneself in a world beyond one's own existence. Contemplating one's family after death, considering how one will be evaluated or whether they will be held in esteem, gives rise to a perspective on life and death. Death is seen as the soul departing the body and being reborn in another world. Eventually, it becomes evident that one's body is not solely their own. It is connected to the deceased and the remaining individuals. This connection is fostered through practices like lighting fires during the Bon Festival, and the narrative of reincarnation and the cycle of life emerges.

Moreover, humans gain the ability to imagine, understand, and empathize with others and treat them with the same consideration as themselves.

For humanity, the initial cosmology perceived time as an infinite cycle of interconnectedness, repetitions, and patterns. The entire world was seen as a small, enclosed space where events were perceived to rhythmically repeat and recur. During the Jomon period, a life dominated by hunting, characterized by instability, solitude, and dependence on chance, gave rise to a worldview governed by this perception. When faced with unsolvable problems, narratives and rituals were born to make them comprehensible and provide solutions.

In this Jomon period's mystical worldview, everything possessed spirits that governed the world. Within this world governed by spirits, magic was employed through rituals to imbue prey with supernatural powers, attracting and capturing them for sustenance through hunting. After the hunt, efforts were made to appease the spirits of the slain animals, seeking protection from their vengeance and praying for blessings to ensure success in future hunts.

This practice persisted until recently in the Ainu bear festival. Participants would sing and dance, performing a dance that symbolized the killing of a bear. They would actually strangle and kill a bear, then worship its spirit, offering gratitude, solace, and ultimately consuming its meat. This ceremony, known as "Iyomante," remained a sacred ritual until recent times. In Ainu society, bears were considered both primary deities and a vital food source, while also being formidable creatures that could pose a threat to humans. The act of killing the bear, consuming its meat, and comforting its spirit encompassed the paradoxical nature of this relationship, bringing a sense of tranquility to the conflicting emotions through the practice of magic and ritual.

Language, once it emerged, shaped the world in which we reside through its symbolic function. The concept of the "real world" is constructed based on the linguistic customs of a particular community. During the Jomon period, as seen in present-day Papua New Guinea, language varied from region to region and was not unified as Japanese. Language not only serves as a means to express the external world and transmit information through words but also plays a role in metonymy, where the original meaning is replaced by a different concept within the same language.

 It is through this linguistic ability in human beings that art emerged alongside magic. Jomon pottery, which served as artistic creations of that era, was not characterized by small and harmonious styles. Instead, it exhibited asymmetry, dynamic patterns, and a three-dimensional composition, going beyond flatness. The patterns depicted on the pottery became art imbued with a sense of the magical.

During the Jomon period, which lasted for over ten thousand years, people looked up at the stars and moon in the sky and lived surrounded by the forests of Jomon. They relied on hunting and gathering for their livelihoods, and in coastal regions, they thrived on the abundant resources from the sea. They worshipped the moon in nature, revered living creatures, and shaped their way of life based on an understanding of the animistic world. The practice of magic, aimed at harmonizing the conflicts between the celestial and earthly realms, as well as the creation of monumental artworks, played significant roles in their lives.

In the Japanese archipelago, the culture of the Jomon period, with its ritual system, encountered a new influx of people, the Yayoi, from the continent, who brought with them the use of Chinese characters. People migrated to the Japanese archipelago through various routes. Subsequently, the introduction of rice cultivation led to the establishment of settled communities, and the scattered populations across Japan eventually coalesced into a unified country. It was within this context that mythology and religion emerged as narratives that bound together the communities.

With the transmission of writing, these communities began recording their traditions and cultures, creating belief systems to preserve and transmit their cultural heritage. Buddhism also arrived, and as the diverse communities across the archipelago became unified, ancient animistic beliefs and magic gradually gave way to the incorporation of religion into society. Over time, within the unique cultural landscape of Japan, Shinto and Buddhism merged, and Confucianism, along with other beliefs, became intertwined and underwent transformations.

In the subsequent history of Japanese religion, Ryunosuke Akutagawa described in "The Smiles of the Gods" that "the political philosophy of Laozi and the teachings of Confucianism, born out of fierce struggles with reality, as well as the teachings of the Buddha on the cyclical nature of rebirth and resignation, and the dream of Christ rejecting reality to pursue eternity—all of these have quietly been absorbed within the beautiful scenery and gentle climate over the course of two thousand years." Thus, the spiritual history of Japan's worldview was born.

As human brains developed, language emerged, allowing us to perceive and understand the world through the power of metaphor. This enabled us to analogize with animals, plants, stones, and nature itself, giving rise to a world of animism where stories, poetry, and art were created. Understanding the world involved embracing an animistic worldview, and the creation of magic, art, and poetry emerged alongside language."One aspect where this remains strongly present today is perhaps in the haiku poetry of the Edo period. In the Manyoshu, there are even instances where snow is described as the incarnation of the ice deity, brought down by a dragon. 

However, subsequent tanka poetry tended to depict more realistic human emotions, gradually distancing itself from nature. During the Edo period, the haiku of Basho and Buson, which were unconventional, revived the expression of Japanese animism, asserting that animals, plants, stones, and the sea possess souls, rather than relying on personification.

Buson's haiku"Behold the springtime sea – an endless flow, a ceaseless becoming, ever the same, ever renewed.”

Bashous haiku "The octopus pot, under the summer moon, harbors fleeting dreams – a testament to our transient existence.

神話の国の物語 オデッセイアと古事記

　 国道９号線を鳥取市から西に１０分ほどでイナバのシロウサギ伝説の白兎海岸が見られ、そのまま西へ走ると国引き伝説の大山と弓浜半島、さらに西に進むと出雲大社にたどり着く。この古代出雲地方の伝説、出雲神話は現在の島根県から鳥取県にかけて支配した豪族の物語で、出雲地方は大国主命が治め、その後天照大神に国譲りしたと記されている。

　人は言葉によって経験を互いに交換できる。それが会話であり、文字の発明によってそれが、時間的にも空間的にも拡大する。そして記録が生まれ、歴史が生まれた。

人間は、環境への意味をつけて理解する。この意味ずけ、シンボルの世界が思想の底辺にあり、宗教や芸術、科学などの人間精神の高度の活動様式はシンボルの世界の産物である。人間は全く無意味な混沌の世界には耐えられない。出来事を、時間と空間の中に意味ずけて、宇宙像、世界像、世間像を作る。

　神話はあらゆる原始文化に存在し、人間のシンボルの構築に大きな役割をはたす。神話的世界像と現代人の世界像の間にはそれほどの隔たりはない。神話は、たんなる気まぐれの幻想、思いつきの所産ではない。人間が自己をとりまく圧倒的自然をコントロールしようとしたとき、すなわち人間が文明をつくったとき、神話は造られた。

　人間は意味ない世界に生きられない。言いかえれば宗教のない世界で生きてゆくことはできない。いかなる人も社会も自然的事象の背後に潜む見えない何ものか、神々、超人的能力、精霊の観念を持っている。われわれが非日常的なことに遭遇したときそれを、超自然的な精霊や神々のからの働きかけとして、これを意味ずける。

　人間に言葉と意識が生まれ、伝説は言語化され、神話の物語となる。そしてそれが書物となり後の世に伝わる。

　４世紀から５世紀にかけて、大陸や朝鮮半島から渡来人が、日本にやってきて漢字が入ってくる。こうして縄文以来の語り部の言葉から、文字の時代になる。魏志倭人伝の卑弥呼や邪馬台の記載はこのころのことで、古代、日本社会では天皇氏が他の氏族を征服していく、天皇の祖先が日本の西から、出雲一族など異族集団を打ち破りしだいに日本を統合して大和に政権を打ち立てた。６世紀古代の大和政権は継体天皇（２６代）の代で確立しつつあった。

　昔々、神の時代は人間と神は渾然として一体であった。ギリシャ神話は、日本の神話とかなり似たところがある。世界はカオスであった。そこから大地の女神ガイアが生まれ、天空の神ウラノスとともに天地を創造した。そして、自然の中で神々が人間と似たように振舞い、喜怒哀楽を持って、物語を展開する。そしてそのギリシャでは神の声を人間は聞いて、そのあやつり人形のように戦い、決断する。一方、日本の神話では、イザナミとイサナギが日本の大地を創造する、神は人であり、神がそこでは人間と同じように活躍する。

　ギリシャ神話のオルフェウスが妻を取り戻しに冥界に行って、後ろを振り返らないという約束を破ったために妻を失う物語同じように、死亡した妻イザナミを取り戻しに行ったイザナギが冥界でみてはいけない姿を見た、そしてイザナギは黄泉の国から逃げ帰り、日向でミソギをした物語がある。日本では、その黄泉の国は、神話では、出雲国のイフヤ坂にあり、この世との境になっていた。この黄泉の国はやがて仏教が入ってきてから、地下の根の国になり、地獄になった。

　イサナギとイザナミが３貴子を生み、天照大神に高天原、月読命に夜の食国、タケハヤスサノオに海原の統治を命じた。　イサナギとイザナミのこどもスサノオのみことは亡き母イザナミのもとに帰りたいと言って泣きわめく。その暴行でアマテラスの神聖な祭儀を壊したとしてその地からの追放の刑に処される。追放地に向かう前にスサノオは事情を説明するため高天原を訪れる。アマテラスは高天原を奪うのではないかと恐れ、完全武装して、なぜ登ってくるのかと聞く。それに対して、私の心には邪心なく、また異心なしと答える。ここに日本古来からの清き心の大切さの源流を見る。　

　その後、スサノオは農耕を荒らす悪神として、根の国に追放されながら、出雲神話ではヤマタノオロチを退治する英雄となる。やがて、皮をはがれた白兎を助けた大国主命が、スサノオの娘と結婚して出雲国をつくる物語となる。そしてアマテラスに国を譲る。　

　古事記の中には、古代人、神々の行動原理が描かれている。非日常的な力を表すものとして、タマとカミがあり、カミは尊いもの、善いもの、勇ましいもののみでなく、悪しきもの、怪しいもの、奇妙なものを含んでいる。尋常を超えて能力を持つも、畏るべきものは、人、鳥獣、山川草木などすべてがカミである。非日常的な祝福や災厄を日常から追い払う、呪術によってタマを鎮め、それを祓う。タマ、カミを鎮めタタリ、ケガレをミソギでキヨメる。精霊のタタリとともにツミもミソギによって洗い流される。みそぎによって、自然現象も罪も洗い流されるキヨメの意味となる。これが日本古来の、古代人の思考の原型を作り、神道に受け継がれたと考えられる。

　紀元３世紀になると、純粋な呪術から祭儀への発展が見られる。　呪術師による災厄の除去と、福の招来の、吉凶世界から人間が神々の秩序に逆らい災厄が起こる、それが罪であるという意識、善悪が誕生し、精霊から神々に対する祈願や崇拝に変化してくる。神々に対する祈願から、やがて儀礼が、神々の信仰の象徴になる。　呪術から祭儀となり、後には、天皇は神道の最高祭祀者として、祭祀や儀式を執り行う役割を担い、神道の神職も天皇から派遣され、神社の運営や神事を行なっていくことになり、神道へと発展していく。　

　

　日本書紀には、仏教伝来以前の八百万の神の存在が記載されている。日本の仏教は、５５２年頃に百済の聖明王から仏具と経典一式が献上されたことで公式には伝来する。日本書紀には「西蕃の献れる仏の相貌端巌し。全ら未だ曾て有ず。礼ふべきや不や。」と問われ、蘇我大臣は日本だけが、仏教に反対することはないと言い、物部氏は、「天地社稷の百八十神を以って、春夏秋冬、祭拝りたまふことを事とす。方に今改めて蕃神を拝みたまはば、恐らくは国神の怒りを致したまはむ。」受け入れに反対した。そのころ蘇我氏が物部氏に勝って権力を得て、仏教を日本で公認した。

　この蘇我氏に擁立された聖徳太子の１７条の憲法で仏法僧の三宝を敬う政策で、氏族の仏教は次第に国家仏教、すなわち天皇の鎮護する宗教となってきた。１７条の憲法の中で、日本国の存在、政治の権威もまた、仏教的、普遍的な正義を強調している。こうして、日本古来の思想は仏教的思想に支えられ、全土に広がって行く。