Ugetsu Monogatari or Tales of Moonlight and Rain (Routledge Revivals)

by Ueda Akinari

  Upon the bay the moonlight glows,

  Among the pines the breezes sough.

  Through the night pure darkness flows,

  And who among us can tell how ?

  Kaian watched for a while, and then grasping his Zen rod firmly, he shouted,

  ‘Well, can you tell how ?’ And with a gutteral cry, he struck the monk on the head.

  Suddenly, as frost that meets the morning sun,530 the figure vanished, leaving only the blue hood and a skeleton lying in the weeds. At this instant the monk probably overcame his stubborn attachment to evil. Surely a divine principle was in operation.

  Afterward, Kaian's great power became known beyond the clouds and over the seas. ‘The spirit of the founder531 still endures,’ people sang in praise. The villagers gathered together, cleaned up the temple, and had it restored. They entreated Kaian to establish himself there, after which he changed its former affiliation with the Shingon sect532 and founded a holy place of Soto533 Zen. This temple still stands today, prosperous and venerated.

  IX WEALTH AND POVERTY

  (Himpuku-ron)

  In the province of Mutsu534 in the retinue of Gamō Ujisato535 there served a warrior by the name of Oka Sanai.536 His stipend was large. He was widely respected, and his bravery was renowned everywhere east of the barrier.537 But this samurai behaved indecorously in one detail.538 His ambition for wealth and rank far exceeded that of the normal military man. Frugality was his guiding principle, and since he made it the watchword of his household he grew rich with the passing years. Whenever he earned a brief respite from his military duties, he found pleasure not in the tea ceremony or burning incense, but rather in his council chamber, where he would spread out many pieces of gold. The satisfaction that he gained from its display exceeded the joy that most people got from moon-viewing parties and picnics under the cherry-blossoms. People frowned on Sanai's behaviour and thought him miserly and boorish. They looked on him with scorn and shunned his company.

  Once having heard that a man who had long been employed in his house secretly kept a bar of gold, Sanai summoned him and said,

  ‘In an age of disorder even a jewel from the Kunlun Mountain539 is worth little more than a tile or a stone. For a person born in times like ours, when one must live by bow and arrow, a T'ang-hsi or Mo-yang blade540 would certainly be a treasure worth possessing. Still, even with a good sword one warrior can hardly face a host of a thousand men. But the power of money allows a man to control all the people of the empire. A warrior, therefore, must not use money irresponsibly, but rather he ought to save it. Your accumulating wealth beyond the expectations of a man of humble position541 is a fine achievement. You shall be rewarded.’

  Sanai gave him ten ryō542 in gold, bestowed on him a sword, and took him into his personal service.

  As word of this incident spread, people changed their minds and said, ‘Sanai isn't the sort of fellow who hoards money from greed or lust. He's merely eccentric’

  The same night that he rewarded his servant, Sanai awoke at the sound of someone near his bedside, and he found by the foot of his lamp a dwarfed old man, smiling as he stood there. Sanai propped himself high on his pillow and without betraying the least sign of alarm said:

  ‘Who are you? If you come to “borrow” supplies from me, you had better have a troop of strong men with you. But when a doddering old specimen like you appears to break my sleep, there is either a fox or a badger at work. What tricks do you know? Show me something to amuse me on this long autumn night.’

  ‘I come to you,’ the figure replied, ‘as neither an evil spirit nor a human being. I am the apparition of the gold that you have accumulated, and in gratitude543 for the kindness with which you have treated me through the years, I wish to talk with you tonight. That is why I have appeared.

  ‘I was pleased that you rewarded your servant today, and thinking that I might be able to entertain you with my thoughts, I've assumed a temporary form. Even if most of what I say is tedious prattle, long silence has made me feel somewhat bombastic, so I decided to reveal myself to you and disturb your sleep.

  ‘To be sure, the great sage, Confucius, taught us that the rich need not be haughty.544 Really, prejudiced remarks such as, “Wealthy men are always stingy and almost invariably stupid,”545 only apply to those like Shih Ch'ung of Chin and Wang Yüan-pao of T'ang,546 who, admittedly did behave like beasts or reptiles. Affluent men of old547 earned their wealth in a natural way - through timely action. They wisely attended to heaven's chances and earth's opportunities. When the Grand Duke Wang was enfeoffed in Ch'i548 and trained the citizens in various occupations, people from the seaside rushed to his court to share in the benefits. Kuan Chung nine times called conferences of the feudal lords,549 and though he was only a court minister himself, his wealth exceeded that of the ruler of a great state. Men such as Fan Li, Tzu-kung, and Po Kuei550 traded in commodities and worked for profit,551 amassing a fortune in gold. Ssu-ma Ch'ien wrote of these men in his “Biographies of the Money-Lenders,”552 but later scholars contemptuously reproached him.553 These men however, showed little understanding of the way things really are.

  ‘Without a steady livelihood no man can feel satisfied.554 Farmers work to grow grain. Artisans help them by making useful objects. Merchants strive to distribute their products. Everyone practices his occupation to increase the wealth of his house, to venerate his ancestors, and to provide for his descendants. What more can one ask of a person? Consider some of the sayings: “A man with a thousand weights of gold does not die in the market place.”555 “The rich man and the king enjoy the same pleasures.”556 No one can deny that fish are plentiful in deep pools and animals abundant on great mountains.557 It's the natural way of heaven.

  ‘But one also comes across phrases such as, “cheerful though poor.”558 Scholars, statesmen, and poets have easily been led to confusion. In our own day, for example, brave men whose business is with bows and arrows have forgotten that wealth forms the cornerstone of the nation, and they have followed a disgusting policy. By killing and maiming people559 they have sacrificed their own virtue and murdered their own descendants. Their error has been to put too little value on fortune and too much emphasis on fame.

  ‘Do you realise that there need be no contradiction between the pursuit of fame and the quest for fortune? People who become bound by empty words and who underestimate the power of money often repeat cant about “purity” and speak of the wisdom of hermits who take up farming and withdraw from society. Even though they who retire from public life may be wise, their action hardly constitutes wisdom. Gold, you see, is the most precious of the seven treasures. Buried in the earth, it causes mysterious springs to gush forth. It sweeps away impurity. It stores within itself a melodious sound. That a substance of such great purity may only be accumulated by people who are stupid or miserly seems incredible - Oh, it feels wonderful tonight to release my years of frustration and express my deepest feelings.’

  ‘Yes, just as you have indicated,’ said Sanai in amusement, as he drew nearer, ‘seeking wealth is a lofty aim, and your views are not a bit different from those that I have always held. But there is still a question to which - though you may think it foolish - I would appreciate your giving me a full reply.560 Now, you have explained that it is almost criminal not to recognise the great power of money and the significance of wealth. But there's some point in what the bookworms say. Practically all of the people who have gained riches in our day are miserly and ruthless men. They enjoy ample wealth themselves, but they make no effort to rescue from poverty either their brothers and relations or those who have faithfully served them since the days of their ancestors. When a man loses his luck and has nowhere to turn for help, then his rich neighbour will even try to beat down the price of his fields and use intimidation to make the land his own. Nowadays even though a wealthy person is respected as village elder, he's often negligent about returning things that he borrowed from people long ago. When a courteous person yields a
seat to someone who is rich, the latter will look down upon the kind man as though he were his slave. When an old acquaintance happens to visit a wealthy man to pay his respects during the summer or winter season, he will be suspected of coming to borrow money, and the rich man has his servant tell the caller that the master isn't at home. You can find many such cases.

  ‘On the other hand,’ Sanai continued, ‘there are people who give complete loyalty to their lord,561 are known to honour their parents, pay respect where it is due, and willingly help those in need. But these people are forced to sleep with one blanket even in the cold winter months. During the midsummer heat they have no time to rinse out their only summer garment. Even in bountiful years for breakfast and dinner they must make do with a single bowl of porridge. Such people rarely receive visits from their friends. Even their family and relations will have nothing to do with them. Ignored, these people have no one they can complain to; they get no rest till the end of their days.

  ‘Lest one suspect that such people who live in poverty are inattentive to their work,’ Sanai said, ‘it must be stated that they usually arise early and retire late, pouring heart and soul into their labour, running about east and west always keeping busy. And they are not dull-witted - they simply remain unsuccessful in spite of their talent. Such people are like Yen-tzu, who scarcely knew the taste of a single gourd.562

  ‘The Buddhists explain that one's destiny is a consequence of a previous karma,’ Sanai also added, ‘and the Confucianists teach that fate is decreed by heaven. Now, if one believed in a future life and assumed that the virtuous acts and good deeds performed in this world563 would assist one in the next, then he might not feel so angry over injustice. Therefore, doesn't it seem that the Buddhist doctrines explain the vagaries of wealth and poverty, while the Confucian teachings are poppycock? Spirit, no doubt you subscribe to the Buddhist beliefs, don't you? If otherwise, tell me your views.’

  ‘Since ancient times your question has never been adequately answered,’ replied the spirit. ‘In the Buddhist canon, to be sure, it's said that wealth and poverty depend on good and evil in a previous existence. That's how things are supposed to go. But suppose a person in his previous life had completely conquered his own selfishness, had revealed the quality of mercy, and had treated his fellow human beings with decency, and as a result in his present life had been reborn to a family with wealth and position. What if he now shows a barbaric disposition, taking advantage of his treasures, bullying other men, and arbitrarily flaunting his authority? By what sort of karma564 could the man's goodness in his former life have become so diminished? We're told that the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas disdain fame and personal gain; so how can one expect to get any ideas from them regarding wealth and poverty? In my opinion, to explain that money and position come from good deeds in a previous existence and to call poverty and misery a person's just deserts is merely a half-witted idea to soften up old biddies.

  x Wealth and Poverty: The spirit of gold comes in the night to discourse with Sanai

  ‘If a man works hard to do good and doesn't worry about wealth or poverty,’ the spirit continued, ‘he will earn good fortune for his progeny, even though the labour may not benefit himself. The saying, “His ancestors received it, and his descendants preserved it,”565 admirably expresses this principle. Still it's hardly proper to do good with the expectation of reaping the profits for oneself. But I have my own ideas about whether a mean and curmudgeonly man always grows rich and prosperous, enjoys life, and comes to a happy end. Listen, while I explain. As I've said, this is only a temporary form in which I have appeared; I'm neither a God nor a Buddha, being originally a thing without feeling whose responses are unlike those of people.

  ‘Affluent men of old accumulated wealth and grew rich by acting in harmony with heaven and by understanding the principles of earth.566 It was a matter of course that these men should prosper, because they followed the natural way of heaven. On the other hand, whenever cheap and miserly people see gold or silver, they run after it as if it were their father or mother, forgoing proper food, forsaking warm clothing, and not even sparing their irreplaceable lives. While sleeping and waking, misers continually brood over wealth, and therefore getting it becomes for them a matter of urgency.

  ‘But because I'm neither a God nor a Buddha but basically an object devoid of feeling,’ he added, ‘I have no responsibility to judge for people what is right or wrong. It's for Heaven, the Gods, and the Buddhas to praise good and condemn evil. These three make up religion. Their prerogatives are not mine. You must remember that wealth only accumulates where people treat money with respect, because though gold has a spirit its soul differs from that of man. For example consider the case of a wealthy person who for love of his fellow human beings bestows his largess567 on someone without seeking proper security. If he fails to see when he gives aid that the borrower is a bad risk, then no matter how good his intentions are, his capital will in the end surely be lost. This amounts to knowing the power of money but misunderstanding its essence. When one treats money with disrespect, he may therefore lose his wealth.

  ‘Consider, on the other hand,’ he said, ‘a person who is born without the heavenly endowment of good fortune. His conduct may be impeccable, and he may be devoted to the welfare of mankind even though he dwells in poverty with scarcely any chance of breaking out of his rut. No matter how hard he tries to exert himself, he may all his life fail in his quest for wealth and position. So you see, the wise men of old searched for wealth and when they found it they took it, but when they could not get it they stopped seeking.568 Then they did as they pleased in the mountains and forests and forsook the world, living out their days in tranquility. People envied them for their great purity of heart.

  ‘The truth is that the way to wealth and position remains an art. A man who masters its skills can make money more easily than a dolt can pound tiles into dust. So, although I associate myself with people's business affairs, I do not depend on a permanent master.569 Just when you think I've gathered570 in one place, I may suddenly run off somewhere else, according to how my master treats me. I'm like water flowing downward.571 Night and day, moving ceaselessly, I never stop. If a man is idle, he can in time consume even Mt T'ai.572 In the end he can drink dry even the rivers and oceans.

  ‘A vicious man acquires wealth by competing for it,’ the spirit concluded, ‘whereas this is not so with a gentleman.573 He will try to use his opportunities, and then by austere living, careful budgeting, and hard work his house will naturally flourish, and other men will show him respect. So you see, I recognise neither the Buddhist doctrine of karma nor the Confucian concept of destiny imposed by heaven. I move in a different sphere.’

  ‘Spirit, I find your views in every way remarkable,’ said Sanai, growing all the more intrigued. ‘Tonight you've managed to dispel many of my persistent doubts. But there is one thing more that I want to ask. At present, Hideyoshi's power prevails over the Four Seas, and it might seem as though the Five Provinces and the Seven Marches574 are calm. Yet here and there575 loyal samurai who have lost their master remain in hiding. Under the protection of the lords of great fiefs some of these samurai are watching for a change in the situation and are actively plotting to seize power for themselves. The people, likewise, because they're living in an age of warring states, have exchanged their hoes for spears and are reluctant to work at farming. It's impossible for any samurai to sleep peacefully on his pillow. As matters stand now, the government seems unlikely to endure. Can anyone bring unity and give the people peace? To whom would you lend your cooperation ?’

  ‘What you ask again concerns the ways of men,’ said the spirit, ‘and it's not the sort of thing about which I have knowledge. I can speak only from the point of view of wealth. As a strategist, Shingen576 was absolutely brilliant, but he never controlled more than three provinces, though his renown as a great general is unanimously acclaimed. His dying words are said to have been, “At present Nobunaga577 is the
most fortunate of generals. I always underrated him and neglected to put him down, but now I lie stricken ill. My descendants will surely be destroyed by his hand.”

  ‘Kenshin578 was a brave general, and after Shingen's death no one under heaven was his equal. It's too bad that he had to die so soon. Nobunaga possessed outstanding skill,579 but he lacked Shingen's wisdom and was inferior to Kenshin in courage. Nevertheless, he acquired wealth, and for a time the whole empire fell under his sway. But considering that he lost his life because he once shamed someone in whom he had placed his trust, you can hardly say that he mastered both the civil and the military arts.

  ‘Even Hideyoshi's great ambition did not aim for the whole world at first. He merely envied Shibata580 and Niwa's581 rank and wealth, as one may recall from his having made up the surname of Hashiba.582 It would seem that he's now like a dragon who upon climbing into the wide heavens forgets how it was to be inside the pond. Although Hideyoshi has changed into a dragon, he belongs to the “serpent” class, and it is said that when dragons develop from snakes, they rarely live longer than three years.583 So how, indeed, can Hideyoshi last? It is clear that from the oldest times an age of extravagance has never endured. People must practise austerity. But excessive austerity can give rise to venality. One must always try to be frugal without being mean. Nevertheless, though the present Toyotomi government may not last, before long the myriads of people will dwell in harmony, and in every household they will sing “The Dance of the Thousand Autumns.”584 It shall be as you wish,’ and so saying, he chanted a Chinese verse of eight characters: