Allen Bruce - Japanese tales from times past : stories of fantasy and folklore from the Konjaku monogatari shu

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge our appreciation for the assistance we have received from a number of people and institutions. Thanks to Karen Thornber for her support and comments, and for contributing the foreword. Thanks also to Professor Scott Slovic for his comments and support. Discussions with Professors Koichi Kansaku, Akira Suganuma, and David Bialock, and with Mr. Stanley Barkan have helped us deal with questions regarding the historical, religious, and literary background of these tales, and with the publication process. Our thanks also to Cathy Layne, our editor at Tuttle, for her thoughtful advice and guidance. We are also grateful for the generous support we have received from our respective universities: Toyo University and Seisen University.

Our translations are based on the following source: Mabuchi Kazuo et al., eds., Konjaku monogatari shu (Tokyo: Shogakukan, 1976).

Naoshi Koriyama and Bruce Allen
Translators

Naoshi Koriyama was born on Kikai Island in Japans Amami islands in 1926. He studied at the University of New Mexico and the State University of New York at Albany. He taught at Toyo University in Tokyo from 19611997 and is professor emeritus. His publications include Like Underground Water: The Poetry of Mid-Twentieth Century Japan , co-translated with Edward Lueders (Copper Canyon Press, 1995); Poesie (Forum/ Quinta Generazione, Italy, 1990); and numerous other books of verse. A talented dancer, he enjoys demonstrating his Amami dance at international poetry meetings.

Bruce Allen was born and grew up in the Boston area. In 1983 he moved to Tokyo where he has lived ever since. He holds degrees from Amherst College and Sophia University. He is Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Seisen University in Tokyo, where he teaches courses in translation and environmental literature. His research interests are in translation, environmental literature, and ecocriticism. He has concentrated particularly on the work of Japanese writer Ishimure Michiko and has translated several of her works, including her novel Lake of Heaven (Lexington Books, 2008).

Karen Thornber is Professor of Comparative Literature and of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. Her research and teaching focus on comparative and world literatures, the literatures and cultures of East Asia and the Indian Ocean Rim, translation, and the environmental and medical humanities. Her books include Empire of Texts in Motion: Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese Transculturations of Japanese Literature (Harvard, 2009) and Ecoambiguity: Environmental Crises and East Asian Literatures (Michigan, 2012).

Kume, the Hermit with Magical Powers, Builds Kume Temple

In olden times, there was a temple called Ryumonji in Yoshino County of Yamato Province. Two hermits cloistered themselves within this temple, practicing the arts of living timelessly and flying through the sky. One was named Azumi and the other Kume. Now as it happened, Azumi obtained his magical powers first and he became a supernatural hermit who could fly.

Later on, Kume, too, became a supernatural hermit with magical powers of his own and he also became able to fly through the sky. One day while flying along, he happened to notice a young woman washing clothes by the bank of the Yoshino River. In doing so, she had tucked her skirt up, revealing her pure white calves. Seeing those white calves, Kumes heart was inflamed with desire and as a result, he lost his supernatural powers and tumbled from the sky, landing right in front of the woman. Thereupon, he took the woman for his wife and they lived together. How this hermit had once practiced the supernatural arts was inscribed on the door of Ryumonji, and it still remains there. Kume, the once-supernatural hermit, had become an ordinary human being. Nonetheless, it is said that when he sold his horse, he still signed his name as Kume, former supernatural hermit .

In the meantime, while Kume the once-supernatural hermit was living with his wife, the emperor decided to build a palace in Take-chi County of the province and he called for laborers from around the country to do the work. And so Kume, too, was summoned to work as a laborer. The other laborers called him Supernatural Hermit. When the officials heard of this, they asked the laborers, Why is it you call him Supernatural Hermit? In reply, they explained, In past times, Kume used to shut himself up in Ryumonji and practice the arts of living timelessly and flying through the sky as a supernatural hermit. He had already mastered the arts, but one day while flying about, he happened to see a woman washing her clothes in the river. When he looked down at her pure white calves, he lost his magic powers, and fell down, and he landed in front of her. And so, he took the woman for his wife. Thats why we call him Supernatural Hermit.

Half joking, the officials suggested, Well then, if he used to have magical powers and hes learned the arts of supernatural living and hes lived as a supernatural hermit, he should still have some magical powers. So, rather than having you carry all that lumber yourselves, why dont we just ask Kume to carry it through the sky. Hearing this, Kume pleaded, But Ive forgotten all the arts of supernatural hermits. Now Im just an ordinary human being. I shouldnt try to use magical powers. But, in his heart, he thought, Once I learned the arts of the supernatural hermit, but because I had an ordinary mans passions and they stained my heart, I lost my magical powers. Still, if I pray sincerely, the Buddha might help me regain my powers. And so he said to the officials, I will pray and try. Hearing this, the officials thought, This guy is talking nonsense, but they said to Kume, Well, thats certainly a great idea.

After that, Kume retreated to a quiet hall, purified his body and mind, fasted, and worshiped the Buddha for seven days and seven nights, praying with all his soul for this one thing: that he might regain his magical powers. And thus, seven days passed. The officials laughed at Kume, who hadnt appeared, but they also wondered what had happened to him. Then on the morning of the eighth day, suddenly the sky grew overcast and then it turned dark as night. Thunder rumbled, rain began to fall, and nothing could be seen. While people were wondering about these strange circumstances, the thunder ceased, and the sky cleared. When they looked about, a huge assortment of lumber, in both large and small sizes, came flying through the sky from the mountains in the south. It all settled on the site where the imperial palace had been planned.

From then on, the many officials who had witnessed this gained great respect for Kume. They reported it to the emperor, and he, too, was deeply impressed and paid respect to Kume. Soon after this, he presented Kume with seventy-two acres of rice fields, free of tax. Kume was overjoyed. He used the fields, and in the countryside, he built a temple, now known as Kume Temple.

After that, Great Master Kobo of Koya Temple had three, sixteen-foot statues of Medicine Master Buddha sculpted in copper and installed in the temple. Great Master Kobo discovered the Mahavairocana Sutra in the temple and consequently he thought, This sutra will surely give us the power to attain Buddhahood. And thus, he went to China to learn the teachings of the Shingon sect. This is how Koya grew to become an important temple. And such then is the story as it has been passed down to us.

Vol. 11, Tale 24

One of Emperor Tenchis Princes Builds Kasagi Temple

In olden times, in the reign of Emperor Tenchi, there lived a wise and learned prince who had a great love of literature. It was during this time that the composing of poetry began to flourish in our country. The prince also enjoyed hunting and would hunt wild boar and deer from morning to night. He was always equipped with bow and arrows, and accompanied by his men. Together, they roamed the mountains hunting wild animals.