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2016 Discovering the Lotus on This Shore: A Reading of Kenji Miyazawa's "Okhotsk Elegy"

Jon P. Holt Portland State University, [email protected]

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Citation Details Holt, Jon. "Discovering the Lotus on This Shore: A Reading of Kenji Miyazawa's 'Okhotsk Elegy'." Dharma World Vol. 43 (Tokyo: 2016). 25-29.

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Jon Holt is an Assistant Professor Miyazawa wrote stories and poems in order to help others of Japanese in the Department of venerate, and propagate the Lotus. In doing so, he World Languages and Literatures at works that are both very Japanese and very worldly. Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. His research interests include modern Japanese poetry, Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933 ), perhaps and its past. Dedicated to writing Lotus Japanese Buddhism, and manga. Japan's most popular Buddhist writer literature (Hokke bungaku), Miyazawa Recent publications include "In a in the modern period, was also one of wrote stories and poems to help oth­ Senchimentaru Mood: Japanese Japan's greatest modern proponents ers understand, venerate, and propa­ Sentimentalism in Modern Poetry of the Lotus Sutra, a special text that gate the Lotus. In doing so, he created and Art" (Japanese Language and has remained highly vital to Japanese works that are both very Japanese and Literature [2014]); and "Ticket to since antiquity. Although Miyazawa very worldly. This welcome contradic­ Salvation: Nichiren Buddhism in was by profession a scientist and by tion is immediately apparent in his poem Miyazawa Kenji's 'Ginga tetsudo no avocation a writer of children's stories "Okhotsk Elegy" ( Ohotsuku banka), in yoru"' (Japanese Journal of Religious and free verse, he reminds Japanese of which the poet records his thoughts, Studies [2014]). His translations the bonds between their society today as he stands on the shore of a Japanese of Amari Hayashi's tanka recently appeared on asymptotejournal. com.

colony formerly held by Russia, as well For access to as his emotional changes that come from full photos For access to reconnecting with the Lotus Sutra after please see a dark period when he doubted his faith, full photos Dharma World following the death of his younger sis­ please see July-Sept 2016 ter, Toshiko, in 1922. Vol. 43 Dharma World "Okhotsk Elegy" takes places in July-Sept 2016 Karafuto, not Japan proper. Karafuto Vol. 43 is the Japanese name for Sakhalin Island. Its southern portion below the fiftieth parallel north became a colony of Japan in 1905. Officially, Miyazawa went there in August 1923 in order to help pro­ cure employment for one of his students through a former colleague. Miyazawa wrote a total of five poems in this series, documenting his progress and return, but "Okhotsk Elegy" was the main poem and serves as the section title within Kenji Miyazawa walks in a field near Toshiko Miyazawa (1898-1922) when she Hanamaki Agricultural School in the early was a student at Japan Women's College his 1924 poetry collectiofl: Spring and spring of 1926. (now Japan Women's University) in Tokyo. Asura (Haru to shura). The poem is at

DHARMA WoRLD July-September 2016 25 A Russian village on Sakhalin Island. Ca. 1930. (Reproduced from the Kenji Miyazawa visits Toyohara plant, a large pulp plant built by Oji book Nihon chiri taikei [A comprehensive outline of the geography of Paper Company, in Karafuto, to help procure employment for one Japan], val. 10, published in 1930 by Kaizosha and posted online by of his students. (Reproduced from the book Me de miru Karafuto Wikimedia Commons.) jidai [The Karafuto period in photographs], published in 1986 by Kokushokankokai and posted online by Wikimedia Commons.) once both Japanese and very other as it piano being pounded upon by the beach?" and he answered, opens, describing a near-alien landscape wind again and again and again) "Probably that part, but I don't know (the translation of the poem is mine): or perhaps it's just a shorter variety because I've never been over there:' of timothy? Now he gives me a kind, sidelong The surface of the sea has completely Morning dew droplets and asagao look gone to rust from the morning's blooms (Yes, in his small spectacles are carbonization there is the glory that we call morn­ reflected the white clouds of because you also have that green­ ing glories Karafuto) blue color, there must also be azu­ rite present. Despite the large number of names When we are lost in a foreign land, Far off where the waves disappear, or terms in this poem that are English, we ask directions. Miyazawa asked the there's much liquid lazuli. Dutch, and even Sanskrit, strangely there Japanese colonist about this place and are no Russian words to be found in got an answer that was both helpful Because we are reading an elegy this poetic topos of the Karafuto land­ and not helpful, but at least he made (banka), we know this is a song memo­ scape, one so close to fellow resident contact with another person. Reaching rializing a dead person's spirit. Banka Russian speakers. The landscape has a out to him kindled the spark of faith is one of the oldest forms ofJapanese fantastic allure for Miyazawa, refresh­ in other people, which Miyazawa had poetry. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (ca. ing his senses in the "glorious" seaside been missing. As Miyazawa often does 660-720), the great poet of Manyoshu ofSakaehama (Glory Beach), wherein in his "mental-image sketches" (shin­ (The collection of ten thousand leaves), he will rediscover the power of the Lotus sho suketchi), he breaks off from his composed a large number of elegies for Sutra. Miyazawa uses his cold, ratio­ internal conversations to speak with private and public purposes. Miyazawa's nal faculties to make sense of a fantas­ others, although he always returns to elegy, however, begins with a tone that tic place. His heart, aching for warmth, his own thoughts, often in the form of is entirely too rational. He is trying to soon finds succor: parenthetical asides. Now he reconsid­ make sense of this new, foreign land­ ers his botanical assumptions, perhaps scape with his mind, not with his heart. Here comes a dray meant for to reaffirm confidence in his rational Trained in the sciences of the soil, plants, open-country work, the one I powers. Miyazawa is still very far away and agriculture, he tempers his poetic just saw from the spirit of the person he came spirit with the logic of a geologist and the draft horse hangs its white, wiz­ to remember. a taxonomist as the poem continues: ened head and here's that goodness of the pack­ They look more like paeonia than the spikes of timothy grass have horse man asagao become so short like this that I felt earlier They are big beach roses and they are blown by the wind, over when I asked him on the vacant They are Japanese hamanasu roses and over and over street corner of the darkest red morning (What they are are the keys of a blue "Where is the most lively part of the Ah, the deep fragrance of flowers

26 DHARMA WoRLD July-September 2016 like these! The tracks of the horse, side by side The stalks of blue day lilies are half Somehow it must be the trick of remain on the brown sand, quiet buried in the sand fairies! and wet waves coming in; waves churning They bring to them countless indigo­ of course it's not that just the horse sand colored butterflies, has passed through I fall down into the fine gravel of and those small spear tips of golden but the wide ruts of its dray white schist and grass, are so faint; are lines of cursive I put into my mouth a piece of a shell greenish bamboo blinds, nephrite writing that was cleanly polished by the vases, and on and on waves Miyazawa's exhilaration of the scene and try to doze off for a while The landscape is a dizzy array of col­ is tempered by its solemnity. He came ors, shapes, smells, and light that over­ to communicate with the dead. Instead, If the landscape will not speak whelm Miyazawa's scientific mind so fairies and sunlight have distracted him, directly to Miyazawa, he will take the much that he cannot find predicates for exciting him about the beauty oflife. He landscape into his mouth. Although he all of his subjects. Magic, through these looks to the landscape and sobers him­ does not digest the shell, he has mouth­ fairies (yosei), defeats rational science self. He reconnects with the cart man, to-mouth contact with it; in turn, he and Japanese syntax. Miyazawa tries to with whom he had brief communica­ falls into the landscape, allowing the reassert his rational mind by using the tion. Instead of memories of speech, beach to absorb him in its colorful and provisional form ( ba) of predicates to Miyazawa begins to see messages in soft embrace: clarify the cause and effect of nature on the sand, a line of cursive text, which is human senses. When Miyazawa uses more alienating than the cart man's warm Why sleep here? Well, on such a logical sentence constructions in his words or kind eye contact. Miyazawa high-quality carpet like these pale poetry, it usually shows a sense of des­ has a mission to communicate with the white lingonberries peration. Miyazawa here is desperate dead. The landscape reminds him of his and newly ripened black berries not to become sucked too deeply into mission, of his message. down under these mysterious his poetic reveries, because he would bluebells, risk succumbing to his grief. In the fine white lines formed after my transparent energy the waves come that I gave to the Sakhalin morning Plus, with the clouds shining so three small mosquitoes hover over fairies before much like this me I must now recover from the light for me it's all a mad, dizzying rush and then are blown away of the clouds and oh so fun! What lovely shells! White fragments! and the sound of the waves and

For access to full photos please see Dharma World July-Sept 2016 Vol. 43

DHARMA WORLD July-September 2016 27 the damp-smelling wind Finally, the seeker has found what For access to moreover, most importantly, my he seeks. However, when Miyazawa full photos mental image observes Toshiko's spirit slowly emerg­ please see has gone totally pale from exhaustion ing from her "two blue colors" of the Dharma World and that's why, that's why it's even sea and sky, he cannot understand what July-Sept 2016 glowing blindingly green-gold in she is doing. If she has not come forth Vol. 43 color to communicate with him, why is she I can even hear from the light rays there? Miyazawa is confused. and the dark, layered sky unnerving bucket -drum sounds The wild trunks and branches of the ezo and todo pines Now the poet, rather than being over there have been wildly scattered, the one that absorbs and refashions the waves curl and curl nature, is dominated by nature. He is and the sand bursts forth because in danger oflosing his special humanity, of their rolling his shinshO, mental image. Miyazawa, the salt water becomes muddy and with his pad and pencil taking notes out lonely on this poetic journey, now becomes (The time is 11:15. The flat plate dial like illuminated text-glowing green­ shines with its pale blue light) A commemorative photo of Kenji (aged five) gold in color, much like Buddhist sutras and Toshiko (aged three) taken in 1901 by ]isaburo Miyazawa, their uncle. illustrated and written with gold, which Like Wordsworth's pathetic fallacy, was once an extreme act of devotion the landscape of Miyazawa's mental by an aristocrat to demonstrate one's sketch mirrors his confusion. Miyazawa, flows down into this carved-out cross dedication to the Buddha's teachings. the scientist, reemerges to counter this now it steadily pours down and down Are these unnerving drum sounds not mental chaos by taking note (parenthet­ unlike the distant sounds of someone ically) of the data he has: the time of day Kenji and Toshiko were the two beating the mokusho, the percussion and the position of the sun. When he eldest Miyazawa children. When Kenji, instrument used by Lotus practitioners returns to his observations of the beach, the eldest, converted from Pure Land to chant the daimoku? Hail to the Sutra another Miyazawa emerges: this time it Buddhism to Nichiren Buddhism, only of the Mysterious Flower and Wonderful is Miyazawa the elder brother. Toshiko joined him, turning away from Law! Namu myohO renge-kyo! Miyazawa Amida to focus on the Lotus Sutra. In is becoming attuned now to his true Birds fly high and low through the their youth, they learned about other mission on Glory Beach, here at the clouds here cultures and religions. Toshiko, like Sea of Okhotsk: the morning boats now go sliding Kenji, studied English; they also learned past about Christianity and had experiences The humble grass heads, the haze carved into the sand, the rut from learning English through Christian mis­ of light the bottom of a fishing boat sionaries. The two eldest Miyazawa chil­ The greenish-blue color stretches and the hollowed-out space from a dren turned to the Lotus to channel gloriously to the sea horizon big wooden beam their faith into positive energy. When from the seams of the clouds' lay- together form a single wavy crucifix. Toshiko died in 1922, it was a terri­ ered construction Taking a number of ki-pen, as she ble shock to Kenji. He never married; a bit of blue heaven peeps out called small pencils, the one true female friend he had was my chest is ever so strongly pierced Toshi once spelled HELL and his sister, Toshiko, who was his liter­ the two colors of blue over there changed them to LOVE ary confidante and perhaps even his both are qualities my Toshiko had then showed me them arranged into soul mate. As recorded in his famous When I walk alone, nod off from the Cross poem "Pine Needles" (Matsu no hari), exhaustion it was a trick anyone could do, so he repeatedly asks her on her death­ on this deserted Karafuto shore I mocked her with a cold smile bed, "Are you really leaving me alone?" Toshiko is there on the edge of that (one piece of shell gets buried in the Even in August 1923, a year after the blue place sand its white edge only sticks out.) tragedy of her death, Miyazawa contin­ what she's doing there, I don't know. Fine sand that had dried out at last ued to pursue Toshiko, hoping to get

28 DHARMA WoRLD July-September 2016 an answer to his question. "Okhotsk Elegy" concludes with the poet con­ fronting both the realm of death and the world of nature.

Although the sea is so green like this when I still think about Toshiko the expression of the distant folk say to me, "Why do you mourn only for this one person, your younger sister?" I hear a voice within me say (Casual observer! Superficial traveler!) Once the sky shines so bright, quite unexpectedly; the darkness spreads out and three fierce birds go flying now A stretch of South Sakhalin Railway, run by Japan's Karafuto Prefecture. Ca. 1920. and they start chirping so sadly like (Reproduced from the book Me de miru Karafuto jidai [The Karafuto period in photographs], that! published in 1986 by Kokushokankokai and posted online by Wikimedia Commons.) Do they bring me some kind of news? One side of my head hurts In the first lamentation poems, Miyazawa Looking out "over the flat mirror sur­ The roofs of Sakaehama village, now vividly described the passing of his sis­ face of the sand;' Miyazawa sees him­ distant, glitter ter in terms that were very realistic but self in those sandpipers who delicately a bird, just one, blows her glass also very much part of Miyazawa's inner trace the comings and goings both of the whistle world. Those poems are very sad because sea and oflife. Here is a perfect exam­ and she goes drifting up to chalce­ Miyazawa lost both his sister and his ple of the kind of Lotus literature that dony clouds faith. In this "Okhotsk Elegy" poem, Miyazawa wanted to write. Not only The glittering quality of the town Miyazawa slowly regains his faith as does it contain the daimoku, but it also and the wharf, he comes to terms with the death of contains the core message of how the the pink color of the smooth hillock Toshiko. The Lotus helps him find his Lotus Sutra can bring salvation to one­ there, smooth and high, strength again. Urged by the other­ self and to fellow human beings. 0 is from its full swath of willow-orchids world spirits not to just mourn and fresh apple-green grassland! pray for Toshiko, Miyazawa awakens and rows of blackish-green pines! from a long, dark dream on an oth­ For access to (Nama Saddaruma Pundarika Sutra!) erwise sunny beach. On Glory Beach, full photos When the sea waves come rolling in Miyazawa hears the daimoku chant please see five little sandpipers of the Lotus Sutra sung in the orig­ run away with tottering steps inal Sanskrit ("Namo Saddharuma Dharma World (Nama Saddaruma Pundarika Sutra!) Pundarika Sutra!"). Looking out at the July-Sept 2016 When the waves pull out Sea of Okhotsk, sitting in a colony on a Vol. 43 they follow them running with tot­ Russian-Japanese island, Miyazawa con­ tering steps nects with the world of his faith, once over the flat mirror surface of the lost but now found. Somewhere out sand. there, perhaps in between reincarna­ tions, Toshiko exists ("what she's doing Although Miyazawa's "Voiceless there, I don't know"). She is not caught Lamentation" poems about Toshiko's in limbo between HELL and LOVE (that death on November 27, 1922, are well is, the Christian heaven). The tides of the known and loved by many Japanese, cosmos or Buddhist karma flow again. these poems from the "Okhotsk Elegy" Nature's cycle of birth and death, like lamentation poems are equally moving. the waves of the sea, comes and goes.

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