When the professor Barbara mentioned the conflicts between Soga Clan and Mononoke Clan regarding the introduction of Buddhism into Japan, it caught my interest right away (Greene, 2023). Buddhism was first introduced and spread widely in China in the Southern and Northern Dynasties when wars were frequent. This religion with infinite tolerance comforted people in the war and became a tool to protect the country in the compromise and accommodation with the ruling class. Later, Buddhism was introduced to Japan.

   The introduction of Buddhism in Japan was first accepted by the upper class and then infiltrated by the lower class, and its original intention was to pray for the protection of the nation. The great contribution to the introduction of Buddhism in Japan was made by the first prominent statesman and thinker in Japanese history, Prince Shotoku (See Image 1 below). He pushed Buddhism hard to make the Buddhist culture began to flourish in Japan.

       The Heian period observed many literature masterpieces in Japan, among which the “The Tale of Genji” mentioned in lecture 8 attracts me most (Greene, 2023). It reminds me of “A Dream of Red Mansions” wrote by Chinese author Cao Xueqin. They have many similarities and differences in literature structure, ideological art, historical origin, and social background, which I want to explore more in this reflection.

       "The Tale of Genji" included more than 1,100 pages (Greene, 2023) to describe the love story and life experience of the protagonist Genji. The characters in the book are mainly aristocrats, but also include the lower-class people, maids in waiting, court ladies and nobles, which fully reflects the social background and cultural life of the Heian Period. Comparatively, “A Dream of Red Mansions” is one of the classical novels of China written in the Qing Dynasty. With the rise and fall of the four families of Jia, Xue, Wang and Shi as the background, and the tragic marriage and love of Jia Baoyu, Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu as the main line, it depicts the life in feudal Chinese society, showing the "beauty of tragedy" (Wang, 2022).

       Let us discover some common features. The first is the similarity on the family background of Cao Xueqin and Murasaki Shikibu. Murasaki's court life and marriage are the source of her life in “the Tale of Genji”, which can be reflected from the “The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu” studied from lecture 9 (Greene, 2023). Cao Xueqin grew up rich and prosperous, but later family changes are the source of motivation for his creation of “A Dream of Red Mansions”. Therefore, both authors have the tragic experience of declining family. Second, these two literatures have profound internal connections with traditional Chinese culture, such as Bai Juyi's poems and Records of the Grand Historian. For example, “The Tale of Genji” was influenced by the Records of the Grand Historian in its plot compilation. Genji had an affair with his father's consort who delivered the crown prince (Greene, 2023). Knowing that he had disobeyed his father and suffered spiritual and psychological torture, he exiled himself to Suma. Such plot arrangement was similar in the Records of the Grand Historian and reflects the influence of Confucian culture in the Heian period (Lee, 2023). “The Tale of Genji” quoted Bai Juyi’s poetry extensively, among which Song of Everlasting Regret is the most widely cited. In “A Dream of Red Mansions”, Cao Xueqin's thoughts, emotions, plot structure and poetry references are also influenced by Bai Juyi's poems, and there are more than ten allusions. For example, Jia Baoyu's Eulogy of the Daughter of Lotus has been adapted from the Song of Everlasting Regret (Lee, 2023).

       But there are some differences. By comparing the characteristics of cultural deposits, value orientation and ideological spirit between roles, we can see that although Japan is influenced by Chinese Confucianism and culture, its culture is obviously different from Chinese culture. Although Jia Baoyu in “A Dream of Red Mansions” has a sense of resistance to traditional ethics, his subject thought is the doctrine of moderation. In “the Tale of Genji”, Genji focuses on filial piety, but his core idea is shame. Specifically, Japanese culture evolves the moral concept in Chinese culture into shame and highlights the status of shame and Bushido. To sum up, the characters in “A Dream of Red Mansions” are influenced by Confucian culture and feudal thought, while the characters in “The Tale of Genji” are limited to the influence of the evolved shame culture.

       In addition, “the Tale of Genji” reflects Murasaki Shikibu's psychological contradictions and entanglements. In the short encounter of Genji and Yugao (Keene, 1994), she described in detail the women’s misfortune under the background of the court, male power, and visiting wife marriage system. While expressing the deep sympathy for the unfortunate women, she also placed hope in the aristocrats who are the source of creating the unfortunate women, and fantasized aristocrats can share true love to women. For example, she exaggerated that Genji’s love to each lover is sincere and lasting (Keene, 1994). In a sense, it is the contradictions and entanglements of Murasaki Shikibu that result in the twists and turns and wonders of the work, thus making this epoch-making work new and lasting.

Bibliography

1.     Barbara, G. (2023, April). Lecture 8: The Genji Monogatari. Lecture.

2.     Wang, S. (2022). A Comparative Study of Dream of the Red Chamber and Genji Mogogatari. The Journal of Heihe University, 1, 122–124. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-9499.2022.01.040

3.     Barbara, G. (2023, April). Lecture 9: The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu. Lecture.

4.     Pandey, R. (2019). Rethinking gender in the tale of Genji. Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, 227–256. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190654979.003.0008

5. Keene, D. (2020). Yugao. In Anthology of Japanese literature: From the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century (pp. 110–138). Angelico Press.

6.     Lee, S. (2023). A Re-exploration of Muraski Shikibu’s Expression of Ambivalence. Journal of Pu’er University, 39(1), 59–61.

2023.05.28

             The concept of impermanence is reflected in many ancient Chinese and Japanese literary works, such as “An Account of My Hut” by Kamo no Chomei, whose opening prologue describes the impermanence of the human world as the river flows forward and never returns; Then, the author further proves this view through vivid descriptions of various natural and man-made disasters he encountered, such as earthquake, fire, famine, cyclone and relocation of the capital, and expounds the interest of staying away from the world, living in the mountain and dwelling in the temple with one heart and praying for Buddha (Keene, 2020). By comparing “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms” and “Heiji Monogatari”, this reflection paper discusses the similarities and differences of impermanence in Chinese and Japanese literary works and possible causes. 

             Although “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms” and “Heiji Monogatari” are works of different countries and historical periods, they have similarities in historical background, genre, and structure. From the artistic point of view, both pay attention to the description of grand war scenes, and both create a series of images of brave and loyal people. Taking the structure of the work as an example, “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms” begins with the statement that the way of the universe will be divided for a long united, and united for a long divided, which reveals the law of historical development of feudal society and a strong tendency toward "orthodox" thought (Mei, 2002). The opening line of “Heiji Monogatari” starts with the bell sound and sala flower telling the world about this impermanence and the history of the turbulent period of Japan in the Middle Ages (Greene, 2023). It is not difficult to see that these two works describe the similar struggle of different interest groups while sharing Confucian ethics and Buddhist principles. 

              However, there are many differences between the two, mainly reflected in the differences in the expression of Confucian culture in the text and the inconsistent views on impermanence. Specifically, “Heiji Monogatari” describes the rise and fall of Genji and the Heike, two major samurai groups in Japan, in the historical background of the decline of the imperial nobility and the rise of the local samurai group at the end of the Heian Period (Keene, 2020). Its opening poem not only artistically summarizes the ending of the characters in the story, but also clearly shows the pessimistic and fatalistic character given by the author to the main characters in the book, full of the thought of “the world is impermanent” and “the prosperous will decline”. In addition, the expression of impermanence in the book is reflected in some harbingers. Emperor Toba’s dream of the hand up and down three times before his death (Hogen Monogatari Book 1, 2001), and the cockfight held by Yoshitsune to decide if he should join Genji (Keene, 2020) are some examples. In short, “Heiji Monogatari” is based on the Buddhist concept of impermanence, which holds that nothing is static, the strong will not always be strong, and the weak will not always be weak. 

               In summary, the view of impermanence in the Chinese classical novels reflects the spirit of the Confucian intellectuals who are happy and know fate, while the Japanese works show a kind of “mono no aware” compassion complex (Zhang, 2019). In “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms”, the reason for impermanence is attributed to political decay. Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes the responsibility of the individual to society and the state, forming a traditional Chinese literary view dominated by Confucianism, which links literature with national politics. Therefore, although the concept of impermanence is written in “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms”, it is natural to conclude that social problems are the roots of impermanence. That is, the impermanence of life stems from the malpractice of social reality. However, the concept of impermanence in “Heiji Monogatari” reflects the impermanence of life itself, believing that historical changes come from impermanence itself rather than society, and impermanence has nothing to do with politics (Zhang, 2019). The Japanese view of impermanence sees life as more painful than pleasant, and it sees life as full of pain and disaster. This impermanence of "mono no aware" is partly because Buddhism was introduced in Japan when its own culture and ideology were underdeveloped. Besides, the Japanese’s worship of nature makes them see that nature changes impermanence, no matter how beautiful things will eventually disappear, so the concept of impermanence in Japanese literature is closer to Buddhist teachings.

Bibliography

1.     Keene, D. (2020). An Account of My Hut. In Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century (pp. 197–210). Angelico Press.

2.     Mei, X. (2002). A Century Review and Prospect of the Study of the Romance of The Three Kingdoms. Literacy Review,1(43), 15–19. 

3.     Barbara, G. (2023, April). Lecture 16: The Heike Monogatari. Lecture. 

4.     Keene, D. (2020). The Tale of The Heike. In Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century (pp. 178–189). Angelico Press.

5.     Wilson, W. R. (2001). Book One. In Hōgen Monogatari: Tale of the disorder in hōgen (p. 3). essay, Cornell University - East Asia Program. 

6.     Zhang, M. (2019). Comparison of The Idea of Impermanence Between The Tale of the Heike and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. People's Literature Publishing House.

2023.06.16

        At the end of the 14th century, Japanese drama entered an important era - the Nō era. Like Chinese Opera, Japanese Nō drama plays an important role in the history of drama. This reflection paper will focus on the comparison of a drama performed in both Chinese Opera and Japanese Nō: Yang Guifei, which was embedded with the same story but a totally different pattern of manifestation. From where I stand, the main reason is the different but intertwined traditions and cultures between China and Japan. Undoubtedly, both drama performances have achieved the Yūgen, the highest level on the stage accomplishments with one mind connecting all powers (Keene, 2020).

1. Love Difference

         In Chinese Opera, the love story between Yang Guifei (Yang)and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Tang) is usually the most prominent part of related literary works. From Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret to Kunqu Opera, without exception, the love story between them is presented before Yang’s death with a sweet keynote, which to some extent reflects the universal psychology of Chinese attaching importance to the present world. However, in the Nō drama, the love story only shows their love after the death of Yang with a relatively sad keynote. For instance, in Zenchiku’s work Yang Kuei-Fei, at the very beginning, the Tang Emperor sent a scholar to Penglai State to search for the soul of Yang. This treatment resonates audience with the sad but beautiful love reflecting the roots of “momo no aware” (Greene, 2023). The story of Sotoba Komachi depicting an image of the transition from a beautiful poetess to a withered old woman is another good example (Keene, 2020).

2. Plot difference

        In the series of Chinese love works between Yang and Tang, Yang always appeared as a Dangerous Beauty because of her special identity: an imperial concubine, which means that their love is intertwined with politics. Therefore, no matter which of these love works, Yang has an inseparable relationship with the turmoil of the Tang Dynasty. However, the Japanese Nō drama shows the embodiment of the pure love of Yang. She is no longer an image of an imperial concubine closely related to the fate of the dynasty, but just an ordinary woman who is devoted to her love. The production of this image is inseparable from the Shintoization of Yang in Japan as a Kanzeon (Ng, 2020), which is related to the Shinto belief system in the later Tokugawa Period (Greene, 2023).

        Now let’s zoom into the content and arrangements of Yang Kuei-Fei in Nō drama. Seami Motokiyo, the Nō Master, highlighted in Fushikaden (Flowering Spirit) that the word "flower (Hana)" is used to represent the performance charm of the actor, which is the key to the creation of Nō drama (Amano, 2011). Furthermore, making the "flower" in full bloom and never wither is the highest pursuit of actors. Meanwhile, showing the beauty of depression, sorrow, and loneliness as dying flowers is attractive to the audience. The drama of Yang Kuei-Fei exactly presents these two realms.  First, Yang is always alone in the Palace of Heaven, expressing the image of lonely and miserable, suffering from missing Tang. The introduction of Buddhist terms in the lyrics shows Yang’s resentment towards the various variables experienced by the human world, and her love for Tang is difficult to give up. As the lyrics say, "Love and hate are difficult to say" (Wang, 2016). In general, the love between Yang and Tang is like a blooming flower, while her sentiment of missing after she returned to the Palace of Haven and of not being able to meet her love again is the expression of the sadly dying flower.  

          As Japanese writer Yasushi Inoue mentioned, the uniqueness of Japanese culture can make things imported from foreign countries into their own things in an invisible form (Zhou, 1991). He believes that although the Japanese culture, which is often centered on the heart, will constantly change forms, the water veins as its root will not disappear and will continue forever. Although Yang Kuei-Fei is based on a Chinese story, the author Zenchiku follows the unique Japanese Nō aesthetics in the creation process, which gives the story a new cultural implication. And this layer of cultural meaning, with the unique color of Japan's "Yūgen" artistic conception.

Bibliography

1. Keene, D. (2020). On Attaining the Stage of Yūgen. In Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century (pp. 256–258). Angelico Press.

2.     Barbara, G. (2023, April). Lecture 16: The Heike Monogatari. Lecture.

3.     Amano, Y. (2011). Amano, Y. (2011). “Flower” as Performing Body in Nō Theatre. Asian Theatre Journal, 28(2), 529–548. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41306514

4. Wang, D. (2021). The Different Transformation of the Same Root Culture in Different Soils. Theater Review, 379(7), 6-7.

5. Zhou, Y (1991). The Culture Variation in Noh Drama “Yang Guifei”. Literature Life, 11(3), 3-8.

2023.07.01