The Tale of Genji- A Visual Companion
Page 27
an end. The Akashi Lady’s reply, the poem included
steps on her own, however, to aid her own salvation,
in the album leaf, expresses her refusal to accept
including the sponsorship of an elaborate Buddhist
the idea of Murasaki’s death by transforming the
ceremony at Nijō — the dedication of one thousand
“fi rewood’s depletion” ( takigi tsukusu) in Murasaki’s
copies of the Lotus Sutra, which culminates in off er-
poem into the “cutting of fi rewood” ( takigi koru),
ings of music and dance, as depicted in the album
which, she hopes, Murasaki will continue to do.
leaf. The expertise with which she arranges every
The poem is paired in the album with an image
detail of the ceremony, f rom copying and mount-
that depicts a dancer performing the bugaku dance
ing precious sutra scrolls to preparing robes for the
called “The Masked Warrior King” (Ryōō), which
many priests offi
ciating at the event, demonstrates
occurs at dawn, amid fragrant blossoms bathed in
a profound knowledge of Buddhist ritual and doc-
mist and early morning light. The painting positions
trine. Genji is astounded that “a mere woman” is
the viewer high above a canopy of ethereal cherry
able to accomplish all this without his help. The
trees in Murasaki’s courtyard, looking down on
tale’s description of the success and beauty of the
a solitary dancer standing on a gold ground. The
ceremony is in keeping with observations about
Murasaki’s character throughout the book, in which
she is lauded for her good judgment and taste. But
this fi nal endeavor provides a glimpse of a new
sense of autonomy on her part; her work on the cer-
emony is equal to that performed by Genji for the
dedication of the Third Princess’s chapel in Chapter
Thirty-Eight, and it aff ords her a sense of agency
and dignity as she orchestrates her own departure
f rom the world.
During the course of the ceremony, Murasaki
hears the monks chanting a famous verse by
the priest Gyōki (668–749) that is related to the
Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which praises
how the Buddha humbled himself in a former life.
Although an exalted king in that former life, the
Buddha served a Dharma preacher by “gathering
fi rewood, picking herbs, and drawing his water.”
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encircled by decorative wooden fl ame-rimmed
halos containing images of fi ve-colored clouds and
pairs of golden dragons. In the larger of the two
drums the dragons reach for three jewels in the cen-
ter, while a radiating golden disk fi nial rises f rom
the drum into the gold clouds. The dragon imag-
ery on the mask may derive f rom that of the Eight
Dragon Kings ( hachidai ryūo) in Buddhism, while
the dragon and jewel motif on the drum references
the Dragon King beneath the sea, protector of the
Dharma and owner of the wish-fulfi lling jewel. The
Dragon King has already been mentioned (Chapter
Thirteen) in relation to the Akashi Novitiate, who
resembles this mythical ruler of the sea. The Akashi
perspective encompasses a vision of the dancer, the
Lady and the Akashi girl, now an Empress, fi gure
musicians beneath the tent in the foreground with
prominently in this chapter: the women share a sig-
their elaborately decorated drums, and a wing of the
nifi cant moment alone with Murasaki, the Akashi
residence. The spectators sit behind drawn bamboo
Empress holds Murasaki’s hand as she dies, and the
blinds, and are suggested by the brightly colored
Empress’s sadness at her foster mother’s death con-
sleeves that poke out from beneath the blinds in two
cludes the chapter. The image of the dancer, as an
bays of the residence.
old man Dragon King, staring up at the fl aming sun-
Wherever Murasaki may be, the artist has created
disk, recalls the Akashi Novitiate and his wishes for
a composition in which the focus is on the dancer and
his lineage, which, thanks to Murasaki, have come
his relationship to the drums in the foreground as he
to f ruition.
seems to move in time to the rhythm. The dancer
The Dragon King imagery is also relevant, how-
wears a striking costume of bright orange trousers,
ever, to the Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra,
a red garment ( hō) cinched at the wrists, a white
which is alluded to in the poems above. In addition
fur-lined orange campaign jacket ( ryōtō) with gold
to depicting a ruler’s subservience to the Dharma,
stripes and blue and white fl oral medallions, and a
that chapter was famous for its representation of a
large, red train that snakes behind him and upward
young daughter of the Dragon King, who became
with a fl ourish. He raises a gold baton in his right
an emblem for female Buddhist salvation in the
hand and reaches across his body with his left arm
face of obstacles said to obscure a woman’s path.
as he lifts his bent left leg, revealing the underside of
The story of the dragon girl was the section of the
his white shoe. The distinctive dragon-headed mask
Lotus Sutra most commonly read at women’s funer-
used in this particular dance alludes to the story of
als and inscribed on their grave markers. Taken
the Chinese king of Lanling, who entered battle
together, the poem and painting in the album can
wearing a dragon mask and long beard in order to
therefore be seen as representing both halves of the
hide his own features, which were too handsome to
Devadatta chapter and refl ecting the tale’s empha-
intimidate his adversaries. In Mitsunobu’s painting,
sis on Murasaki’s noble death. Her passing occurs
the headdress includes the neck of the dragon and
in autumn, marked by a series of three touching
part of a ribbed wing, while the mask itself has red-
poems by her, Genji, and the Akashi Empress, which
rimmed eyes, a long nose, and a white beard. The
all liken her to the f ragile dew drop and lament the
dancer turns his body toward two spectacular drums
ephemerality of life.
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Spring may come too late
His Holiness responded,
For a life one cannot know —
Let us see this fl ower
Amid snow today
In springtime for a thousand years,
Let u
s fi nd the time to deck
I make my prayer;
Our brows with the reddening plum.
Mine is the body fallen
With snow in the drifts of age.
cranston, pp. 901–2
184
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41
Spirit
Summoner
Maboroshi
Haru made no
Onkaeshi
Inochi mo shirazu
Chiyo no haru
Yuki no uchi ni
Mirubeki hana to
Irozuku ume o
Inoriokite
Kyō kazashiten
Wa ga mi zo yuki to
Tomo ni furinuru
185
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It is the spring after Murasaki’s death and Genji’s
Buddhas of the past, present, and future would have
grief is all-consuming. The Maboroshi chapter been intoned by an assembly of priests. The rite depicts the twelve months after Murasaki’s death
included the confession of sins committed during
and beyond, accounting for every stage of Genji’s
the past year ( sange) as well as prayers for longevity.
grief and self-refl ection after his loss. He lingers
At the end of the ceremony, as the participants are
on at Nijō immediately after Murasaki’s death, leaving, Genji spots the main offi ciant, a monk he
and then he visits the women at Rokujō; they are
has known for many years, off ers him wine and del-
plain by comparison and give him no comfort and
icacies, and bestows on him the gifts that protocol
only depressingly remind him of Murasaki’s per-
dictated priests receive, which Genji makes unex-
fection. He withdraws f rom society, has no visitors
pectedly grand. The two men sit across f rom each
aside f rom members of his immediate circle, and
other in the painting, with the priest depicted on
sleeps alone, seemingly on the verge of renounc-
the right in the regal robes of an abbot, patterned
ing the world to focus on Buddhist prayer and his
in gold with a pointed hood, and a surplice ( kesa)
own rebirth. Things always arise to prevent him
draped across his body. He appears in profi le with
f rom taking religious vows, however, f rom a sup-
a tall tray of dishes before him containing food and
posedly deep attachment to his grandchildren at
wine, the attendant in black having already used the
one point, to an obligation to others who rely on
golden sake ewer to fi ll the priest’s cup. Genji sits
him at another. Eventually Genji admits to him-
opposite the priest looking as imposing as ever, in
self that he is simply not strong enough to do it.
voluminous white robes and trousers, physically
That self-refl ection is expressed within a chapter
larger than the other two fi gures. He sits on a mat
structured in a unique manner as twelve months
with a gold screen behind him, in a manner appro-
pass in rapid succession. Each month brings a new
priate for a man with the status of retired emperor.
revelation and stage of mourning in tune with
The painting shows Genji with his full cup raised
seasonal markers and calendrical events. Within as if capturing the very moment when the fi rst that compressed year we see the microcosm of an
entire life lived, as a fl ood of memories sparked by
seasonal change interweave the past with the pres-
ent in Genji’s mind. Much of this is accomplished
through the chapter’s abundant poetry — nineteen
poems by Genji, twelve of them lamentations
for Murasaki expressed as soliloquies. As the year
comes to a close, Genji gathers all of Murasaki’s let-
ters and examines them, startled by the emotional
power of seeing her handwriting, and then instructs
her women to burn every one of them. As if it is a
symbolic re-cremation with utterly fi nal eff ect, the
destruction of this last trace of Murasaki seems to
purge Genji of her memory and to f ree him to exit
the world and the story.
The album painting depicts Genji with the year
of mourning behind him, making his fi nal appear-
ance before the world of the court. It is the twelfth
month and time for the annual chanting of The
Sutra on the Names of the Buddhas ( Butsumyō kyō), a
ceremony in which the names of three thousand
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was this particular scene emphasized in the album
painting? One clue may be the way in which this
chapter mimics in lyrical form the structure of the
third volume of a Heian-period Buddhist text that
predates The Tale of Genji known as The Three Jewels
( Sanbōe). The third volume of that work concerns
the Buddhist clergy and presents an entire year of
Buddhist rites and ceremonies, beginning with the
fi rst month and ending, like the Maboroshi chap-
ter, with the ceremony for intoning The Sutra on the
Names of the Buddhas in the twelfth month. Among
other things the description of the ceremony
explains that “When you hear the names of the
Buddhas . . . the sins you have accumulated in count-
less kalpas will be erased” (Kamens, p. 366). And it
poem in the accompanying calligraphy leaf is spo-
ends intriguingly by citing a poem by Bai Juyi:
ken. The verse expresses Genji’s doubt that he will
With but one burner for incense and one lone candle,
live long enough into the spring to see the plum
The white-haired monk passes each night, worshipping
blossoms fl ower again, and it records his content-
The Sutra of the Buddhas’ Names.
ment to settle instead for a simple appreciation of
kamens, p. 367
their reddening buds amid the snow. No plum trees
appear in the painting, but the artist made sure to
The similarities with the ending of the Maboroshi
include a slight blush of color in the men’s wine
chapter are striking, down to the inclusion of
cups. Genji notices how the priest has aged over
poems that pun on the white hair of an old monk.
the years, observing that the tint of his shaved head
The monthly “rites and ceremonies” depicted in the
has turned white. The red plum and white snow
Maboroshi chapter are not the Buddhist ones of The
in Genji’s poem play on the trope of two old men
Three Jewels but romantic equivalents that eulogize
whose heads have gone white while they have been
Murasaki and touch on the events and themes of the<
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enjoying their wine. While Genji’s hair remains tale. By alluding to the words and structure of The dark in the image, for the fi rst time in twenty-fi ve
Three Jewels, the author sums up the story of Genji
depictions of the protagonist in the album, the artist
in a way that asserts her tale’s identity as a work of
has included wrinkle lines on either side of his mus-
literature infused with Buddhist spirituality. Having
tache to show his age. The priest in his poem refuses
absolved Genji of his sins, the author ends the chap-
to accept Genji’s prediction of his impending death
ter with the shouts of his grandson, the six-year-old
and prays instead for a thousand more years for
Niou, chasing out demons, and with Genji prepar-
Genji while likening his own aged self to the drifts
ing for the New Year, positing a recurring cycle of
of snow around them. The artist uses motifs such
life. Genji’s fi nal poem lets the reader know that the
as the tufts of pine tree branches capped with snow,
cycle will continue, but without Genji himself.
the icy pond rimmed with f rozen reeds, the bam-
Mono omou to
One thing on my mind,
boo in snow depicted on the wooden door to the
Suguru tsukihi mo
I never knew the passing
residence, and the falling snow outside to create a
Shiranu ma ni
Of the months and days,
withered wintry scene.
Toshi mo wa ga yo mo But now it seems today at last
Why did Murasaki Shikibu make this exchange
Kyō ya tsukinuru
The year and my time are over.
between Genji and an unnamed priest her protag-
cranston, p. 902
onist’s fi nal poetic exchange in the tale, and why
Chapter 41 | Spirit Summoner | 187
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The procession included several of
some time. A light snow was falling
the Minister’s sons — the Commander
along the way, and the twilight had a
of the Guards, the Acting Middle
fabulous glow.
Counselor, the Major Controller of
washburn, p. 891, modified