Chapter 9 THE VOCABULARY OF JAPANESE AESTHETICS I It iy surprising how often we find the sume few terms used to express the pref erences or ideals of Japanese creative artists throughout the ages, indeed, so often thut we can identify them as a special “vocabulary of Japane: Such terms varied in meaning with the times and the individual critics, as is to aesthetics.” be expected of words employed for well over a thousand years in some cases. Some knowledge of this vocabulary may therefore serve as a key to Japanese canons of taste in literature and the other arts, and one that has had whole volumes of ‘The most famous of these words, ch devoted to it, is aware. In old texts, we find it first used ay an exclamation of surprise or delight, a person’s natural reaction to what an early Westen critic of Japanese literature called the “almess” of things, but gradually it came to be used adjectivally, usually to mean schokir who analyzed the uses of aware in the Man'yésha, the great eighth- serious res pleasant” or “interesting.” One century collection of poetry, discovered that an aware emotion was most often evoked by pocts on hearing the ntelancholy calls of birds and beasts. An in- scription from the y ar 763 contains the word aware to describe the writer's etnotions on seeing the spring rain, Gradually, therefore, aware came to be tinged with sadness. By the tine of The ‘Tale of Genji, only the lower classes (or the upper classes in moments of great stress) used the word aware as a simple exclamation; elsewhere, it expressed a gentle sorrow, adding to a sentence not so much @ meaning as a color or a perfune. It bespoke the sensitive poet'sSALISM AND THE SENSE OF HIERARCHY 1g8 MAHAYANA UNIV iy, 1g, of the poets! sensitivity to the world uround thein, it was probably awareness of a sight of a sound, its beauty and its perishability, With the stea heighte inevitable that the tone of sadness would deepen. ith-century critic of Japanese literature Motoori Norin- Phe famous eighte aga (1730-1801) once characterized ‘The ‘Tale of Genji as a novel of mony no aware, a phrase that has sometimes been transkited as “the sadness of things.” Motori, however, seems to have meant something closer to a “sensitivity to things” —a sensitivity to the fall of a flower or to an unwept tear, Some of the carly works of criticisin use the word aware so often as to make it almost the exclusive criterion of merit. In a work writlen around 1200, for example, we find this discussion of ‘The Tale of Genji: Someone asked, “Which chapter is the best and creates (he most pro- found impression?” No chapter is superior to Kiritsubo, From the opening words, “AL the Court of.an Emperor (he lived it matters not when)” to the final descrip- tion of Genji’s initiation to manhood, the whole chapter is Alled with a moving (aware) pathos which culors the language, the circunistinices pore trayed, and everything else. In The Broum-Tree the discussion on a rainy - night of the appraisal of women contains many praiseworthy things. ‘The chapter Yaguo is permeated with a moving (aware) sadness. The Festival of Red Leaves and The Flower-Feast are unforgettable chapters, each pos- sessed of its own charm (en) and interest. Aoi is an extremely moving (aware) and absorbing chapter. The chapter Kashivagi contains the scene of the departure for Ise, which is at once churming (en) and magnificent, ‘The scene when, after the death of the Finperor, Fujitsubo takes vows as a nun is moving (aware), Exile at Suma is a moving (aware) and powerful chapter. The descriptions of Genji leaving the capital for Suma and of his life in distant exile are extremely moving (aware) As this excerpt shows, the word aware was used to describe almost every chapter considered to be of unusual beauty, and int each ease the ineaning, though vague, was associated with deep emotions and not a mere exclamation, as in early times. But aware had not yet darkened to its modern meaning of “wretched,” which represents perhaps the final evolution in its long history. In the same excerpt, one other word appears several times—en, which m: be translated as “charming.” Its use as a term of praise indicates that not only the melancholy but also the colorful surface of Genji was appreciated. Indeed, if we look at the superb horizontal seroll illustrating the novel—which is 2. Munyo séshi, pp 17-18 The Vocabulary of Japanese Aestheties | 1yy more by its exqu roughly contemporary with this criticism —we are struc site churn than by the sadness of the scenes (although, of course, the two conceptions are not mutually exclusive). Hin evokes the visual beauty in which much of the literature of the time was clothed. A term of cheerful aesthetic criticisin is okashi, a word we find in many Heian works, particularly nally to have meant something that brought a smile to the fa ight or amusement. Lt was not applied to the serious or sad things of life except ironically, and thus as one Japanese critic pointed out, ing light of the tragic was just the opposite of aware, which sought to impart to the otherwise meaningless cries of a bird or the fall of a flower a profound and moving the celebrated Pillow Book. Okashi se ms origi- ve, of either de- Is 1 meaning Both aware and okashi—the former best represented by Murasa who saw the aware nature of a leaf caught in the wind, the latter by S agon, whose witty essays are dotted with the word okashi—are standards typical of un aristocratic society of great refinement. ‘That aristocrats of the Heian pe- nod were aware of the special nature of their society is attested to by one other word of their aesthetic vocabulary —miyabi, literally “courtliness” but in general “reli ent.” The court was a small island of refinement and sophistication in a country otherwise marked by ignorance und uncourtliness, so it is not sur prising that peuple at court tended to think with horror of the world outside the capital. “Courtliness” here meant not only the appropriate decorum for lords and ladies at the palace but also the Jay se reflection of the culture that had originally come froin China. Miyabi was perhaps the most inclusive term for describing the aesthetics of the Heian period. It was applied mainly to the quiet pleasures that, supposedly atleast, could be savored only by the aristocrat whose tastes hud been educated ure wood, the to them —a spray of plum blossoms, the elusive perfume of delicate blending of colors ina robe. In lovemaking, too, the “refined” tastes of the court were reveled, A man might first be attracted toa wonnan by catching a glimpse of her sleeve, curelessly but elegantly draped front a carriage window, or by seeing a note in her calligraphy, or by hearing her play a lute one night in the dark. Later, the lovers would exchange letters to nd poems, often attached spray of the flower suitable for the season, Such love affairs are most per- fectly portrayed in ‘The Tale of Genji and, even if somewhat idealized in that novel, suggest to what lengths a feeling for “refinement” could govern the lives of thase at court Perhaps nowhere is this insistence on the refinement of taste more clearly revealed than in the passage known as the Grading of Quallity,? in 2 Sha no sadume literally, called “ta “the determination of grade or rank,” or what today tight be kordeang”300. MAHAYANA UNIVERSALISM AND THE SENSE QF HIEHARCHY which Prince Genji and his sophisticated companions discuss the rekitive vir- tues of the women they have known, In love, no less than in arl, the sume aristocratic hierarchy of values, the same subtlety of discrimination, prevailed as in social relations. Indeed, it was in just sucl a society as this that so much ry to the equal- importance was attached even iu religious matters and contra yav.a Buddhism —to the ascending hierarchy or grad:tions itarian trend of Mal of religious consciousness, ‘The influence of miyabi polishing the eruder emotions found in the Man'yéshd, italso severely limited not wholly beneficial, though. By refining and the range of Japanese poetry and art. Miyabi led poets to shun the crude, the rustic, and the unseern'y, but in so doing, it tended to remove or dilute real fecling, ‘Today, when reading much of this later Japanese poetry, we cannot help wishing at tines that the poet would break away from the oftsung themes of the moon, the cries of birds, and the fall uf chefty blossoms and treat instead harsher and more compelling subjects Ina sense, miyabi was a negation of the simple virtues, the plain sincerity {makoto) that Man’yéshi poets had possessed and thal poets many centuries luter rediscovered. “Refinement” gave to the courtiers a justification for their own way of living and at the same time a contempt for the noncourtly similar to the attitude that has given the English words “peasantlike,” “boorish,” and “countrified” their uncomplimer cifically aristocratic standard was transmitted to the military classes when they y meanings. But in a curious way, this spe- rose to power and later to the common people and even the peasantry, so that today much of what “refinement” represented is part of the common heritage of all Japanese. The hackneyed imagery’ of Heian poetry—the falling of the cherry blossoms, the reddening of the autumn leaves, and the rest—has be- come very much a purt of even the least aesthetic of Japanese, Steel mills dismiss their employees for the day to enable them to adinire the cherry blos- sons (und drink sake under them), and the hardest-headed bustressman does ao when the maples are their most not begrudge an afternoon off spent at Tal brilliantly colored. This love of conventionally admired sights of nature is gen- d excites uine, not a pose, and it extends to all classes. ‘he annually renew ment over cherry blosoms of reddening maples or first snow is au important clement of the Japanesé year. A letter that failed to op a with mention of these sights of nature would strike the recipient as being curiously insensitive. The peoples of other countries are certainly not indifferent to the beauty brought by the seasons, but nothing can compare elsewhere with the love of beauty that has played so prominent a cole in Japanese life and history sinee early times, Aware and okashi are no longer used in the presenteday vocabulary of y is still apparent aesthetic criticism, but the miyabi spirit of rehned sensibility ¢, and other in literature and also Japanese craftwork— ceramics, laequerwa arts—which have influenced artistic production throughout the world. a ERGATA RINE jkr TIEN si ge eins jabs iis ‘The Vocabulary of Japanese Aesthetics 1 201 MURASAKI SHIKIBU: ON THE ART OF FICTION ‘The ‘Vale of Genji has been read and counnented on ever since it was first written, alnost a thousand years ago, ail many theories have been advanced regarding what he author Murisitkt Shikibu was trying to express i ver novel. ln the following excerpt from The ‘Tale of Cenji, we find what ty perhaps the best answer to this qu sceins likely that here, in one of the earliest and aust Eunous examples of Jap: criticism, Murasaki was stating her own views of the novel’s function. This year the rainy season was more severe than usual, Day after day the ra came down without a let-up, and time hung heavily on the hands of the ladies in Prince Genji’s household. As a distra romances ction they had recourse to illustrated Lady Akushi was proficient in this art and had several such works prepared for her daughter, the little Princess. "The greatest enthusiast, however, was ‘l makazura, who now spent all day reading and copying romances. Many of her young ladies-in-waiting also took interest and had accumulated a fascinating collection of stories, some from real life, some fictitious. . . . One day when Cenji came into Tamakazura’s rooms he noticed several illustrated romances scattered about the place. “Really,” he said with a smile, “you women are incorrigible, Sometiiies | wonder whether you haven't been born into this world just so that you can be deceived by people. Look at these books! ‘Phere probably isn't an ounce of truth in the lot of them—and you know ul well as | do. Yet here you are, utterly fascinated and taken in by all their fabrications, avidly copying down each word—and, | may add, quite unaware that it is a sultry day in the middle of the rainy season and that your hair is in the rnost (rightful mes wused fora while. “But then,” he continued, “if it weren't for old romances like this, how on earth would you get through these long tedious days when time moves so slowly? Genji | besides, [ realize tha " many of these works, full of fabrications though they are, do succced in evoking the emotion of things inva most realistic way. One event follows plausibly on another, and in the end we cannot help being moved by the story, even thougl we know what foolish- ness it ull really is. Thus, when we read about the ordeals of some delightful princess ina roumnee, we may find ourselves actually entering into the poor girl’s feelings. 11, the author may so dazzle us with the brilliance of his writing that we forget about our initial incredulity. Later on, when we think back cally on the story, we may be annoyed that we should have swallowed ils absurdities But at first hearing we only notice how fascinating it all is. “Of late | have occasionally stopped to listen while our young Princess’ ladies