5:10 A Man of Ōmi Lost His Son and Left Secular Life
from the Senjūshō
translated by Yoshiko Dykstra
The parents are grieving for their dead son.
Recently there was a wealthy man of Ōmi province who led a life of luxury, tasting delicacies of the mountains and seas both morning and evening. He had nothing unfulfilled in his life. But one day, his only son fell ill and finally died in spite of trying all kinds of medicines and yin-yang treatment. The grief of his father and mother was indescribable.
Fifty days passed after his son’s death, and the man realized his sadness would never be banished by any of his treasures, and he concluded that the only way to be freed from the suffering was to enter the Way. He explained this wish to his wife, immediately cut his hair, and began his journey of practicing the Way.
As he wandered in the mountains, he felt deeply the transience of life while watching the falling leaves. As he wandered along the sea shore,1 he pondered his approaching death. Finally, after arriving at Shido in Sanuki,2 a province far from his home, he succeeded in delivering himself, passing away with his palms joined facing the west.3
Wasn’t it most extraordinary for the man to renounce secular life and abandon his wealth? Although different from the profound meaning of the Law, the transience of life is easy for anyone to understand by noting the brief existence of gossamer and the easily broken leaves of the bashō plants. So although we should leave this futile life as soon as possible, we are unable to do so because of our many delusions, and we will regret this when we face the judgments of King Enma4 of the hell after our death.
Long ago when I was serving at the imperial court,5 I mostly enjoyed the Way of Poetry as I recited poems stirred by the reflection of the autumn moon on Hirosawa Pond and the shadow of the moon on the dew of the bamboo leaves in Ono Field. I spent spring days admiring the mist-like cherry blossoms of Mount Yoshino. Thus I composed poems as I visited many places. When I settled down with my loving wife and child, I was ignorant of the futility of life. How could I have dreamed at that time that I would later be leading the life of a beggar like this? But now I am most happy that I can put all the sadness of parting and death into my poems, which are nothing but a skillful means of following the Way of the Law.
~~~ The End ~~~
©2009 by Yoshiko Dykstra
1The seashore here reflects the idea of the Sea of Life and Death, referring to the great and deep suffering of repeating life and death in the karmic cycles.
2Present-day Shido-chō, Ōkawa-gun, Kagawa-ken.
3“Palms joined” refers to having the hands together in a position of prayer. “Facing to the west” refers to the one who wishes to be reborn in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. Amida‘s Pure Land is believed to be in the west, as the Sun sets in the west. The two details together refer to a correct way or fashion of receiving death.
4King Enma (pronounced “emma”) or King Yama (Sanskrit) is the Judge of the Hell or the Land After Death who judges the sinners in hell. The idea appears in the old Hindu mythology (the Vedas), later came to China, was eventually assimilated into Chinese Daoism and finally came to Japan. King Enma dominates hell and the land after death.
5This suggests that Saigyō once served former Emperor Toba as a samurai.