Hello.
You don't know me, but please call me Uncle.I'd like to tell you
about this ancient Japanese poem for which I have great respect.
It is from the group of poems called "Manyoshu"
It was written in the Nara period (the 8th century) by Takechi no Kurohito,a
minor poet in the emperor's court. The poem, if read in English would go
like this. . . "I have to shown my wife around Inano. Someday,I will
take her to Nasukiyama or Tsunonomatsubara." This tanka style verse(5,7,5,7,7)
which lists the names of three small, unpopulated towns that once existed
in the middle part of Japan called Kansai, is not one of the more popular
verses from the work of Manyo. After contemplating it, however, I have
come to appreciate the feelings that the poem evokes. What feelings does
one get from hearing the names of the no longer existing places, you ask.
Well, in order to understand this, you must first put yourself in the following
scenario. It is the 8th century A.D.. Travelling takes a long time. You
can not contact your family while you are away.You traverse primarily on
foot. You are at the mercy of nature and the elements, and what you will
find at your destination, is unknown. Undertaking a journey means risking
your life. Now, knowing the factors involved in travelling in the Nara
period, I imagine you are wondering why anyone would do so if he didn't
have to? In the answer to that question,my friend,lies the beauty of this
poem.
Inano shrine
Inano shrine
In this period of Japanese history, people
fervently believed that
in all living things: trees,flowers, mountains, rivers,wind etc. . . , was a different deity or spirit. Some of these gods were good,while others, were evil. Which you would meet on your way was unknown. Encountering these gods was the purpose for undertaking such dangerous travel. These trips were pilgrimages. In finding, revering and paying homage to the gods, one could experience "tamafuri",which can be interpreted as the process of purifying, strengthening and enriching one's soul.What made those who travelled in that era so courageous, was not simply the physical threats noted above, but also, and probably more intimidating,the emotional factors. Not knowing what reaction your presence would arouse in the spirits,coupled with the fact that no one knew from where the spirits would emerge,created great fear and anxiety for the Nara period traveller. Thus, one would, of course, approach everything in a new and unknown area with apprehension and reverent care known in Japanese as "tamashizume"
What is interesting about these two important words: tamafuri and >
tamashizume is that although at first glance they seem to be opposite in
meaning, the first being fulfillment and the later being anxiety, but they
are actually one in the same; they are flip sides of the same coin. One
can not be achieved without the other. In fact, in Japanese the same characters
are used to write both words. I believe that it is to experience tamafuri
and tamashizume that the author wanted to bring his wife to the two places
that he wrote about in the poem. I think that she was sick and he was worried
about her. He wanted his wife to become well. By meeting the gods and experiencing
tamafuri and tamashizume, her soul could be revived. The feelings that
are conjured up when I read this simple, yet deep poem are ones of love(love
of his wife), and the wisdom of knowing that much spiritual gain can be
made by way of revering that which we encounter on our life's journeys.
I hope you have come to like this old poem as much as I have.
Yours,
