kwaidan-第21部分

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diminution　of　human　fertility；　suggests　that　such　moral　evolution　would

signify　a　very　considerable　amount　of　physical　change。　If　it　be　legitimate

to　believe　in　a　future　humanity　to　which　the　pleasure　of　mutual　beneficence

will　represent　the　whole　joy　of　life；　would　it　not　also　be　legitimate　to

imagine　other　transformations；　physical　and　moral；　which　the　facts　of

insect…biology　have　proved　to　be　within　the　range　of　evolutional

possibility？。。。　I　do　not　know。　I　most　worshipfully　reverence　Herbert

Spencer　as　the　greatest　philosopher　who　has　yet　appeared　in　this　world；　and

I　should　be　very　sorry　to　write　down　anything　contrary　to　his　teaching；　in

such　wise　that　the　reader　could　imagine　it　to　have　been　inspired　by

Synthetic　Philosophy。　For　the　ensuing　reflections；　I　alone　am　responsible；

and　if　I　err；　let　the　sin　be　upon　my　own　head。







I　suppose　that　the　moral　transformations　predicted　by　Mr。　Spencer；　could

be　effected　only　with　the　aid　of　physiological　change；　and　at　a　terrible

cost。　Those　ethical　conditions　manifested　by　insect…societies　can　have　been

reached　only　through　effort　desperately　sustained　for　millions　of　years

against　the　most　atrocious　necessities。　Necessities　equally　merciless　may

have　to　be　met　and　mastered　eventually　by　the　human　race。　Mr。　Spencer　has

shown　that　the　time　of　the　greatest　possible　human　suffering　is　yet　to

come；　and　that　it　will　be　concomitant　with　the　period　of　the　greatest

possible　pressure　of　population。　Among　other　results　of　that　long　stress；　I

understand　that　there　will　be　a　vast　increase　in　human　intelligence　and

sympathy；　and　that　this　increases　of　intelligence　will　be　effected　at　the

cost　of　human　fertility。　But　this　decline　in　reproductive　power　will　not；

we　are　told；　be　sufficient　to　assure　the　very　highest　of　social　conditions：

it　will　only　relieve　that　pressure　of　population　which　has　been　the　main

cause　of　human　suffering。　The　state　of　perfect　social　equilibrium　will　be

approached；　but　never　quite　reached；　by　mankind　







Unless　there　be　discovered　some　means　of　solving　economic　problems；　just

as　social　insects　have　solved　them；　by　the　suppression　of　sex…life。







Supposing　that　such　a　discovery　were　made；　and　that　the　human　race　should

decide　to　arrest　the　development　of　six　in　the　majority　of　its　young；　so

as　to　effect　a　transferrence　of　those　forces；　now　demanded　by　sex…life　to

the　development　of　higher　activities；　might　not　the　result　be　an　eventual

state　of　polymorphism；　like　that　of　ants？　And；　in　such　event；　might　not　the

Coming　Race　be　indeed　represented　in　its　higher　types；　through　feminine

rather　than　masculine　evolution；　by　a　majority　of　beings　of　neither　sex？







Considering　how　many　persons；　even　now；　through　merely　unselfish　（not　to

speak　of　religious）　motives；　sentence　themselves　to　celibacy；　it　should　not

appear　improbably　that　a　more　highly　evolved　humanity　would　cheerfully

sacrifice　a　large　proportion　of　its　sex…life　for　the　common　weal；　particular

ly　in　view　of　certain　advantages　to　be　gained。　Not　the　least　of　such

advantages　　always　supposing　that　mankind　were　able　to　control　sex…life

after　the　natural　manner　of　the　ants　　would　be　a　prodigious　increase　of

longevity。　The　higher　types　of　a　humanity　superior　to　sex　might　be　able　to

realize　the　dream　of　life　for　a　thousand　years。





Already　we　find　lives　too　short　for　the　work　we　have　to　do；　and　with　the

constantly　accelerating　progress　of　discovery；　and　the　never…ceasing

expansion　of　knowledge；　we　shall　certainly　find　more　and　more　reason　to

regret；　as　time　goes　on；　the　brevity　of　existence。　That　Science　will　ever

discover　the　Elixir　of　the　Alchemists'　hope　is　extremely　unlikely。　The

Cosmic　Powers　will　not　allow　us　to　cheat　them。　For　every　advantage　which

they　yield　us　the　full　price　must　be　paid：　nothing　for　nothing　is　the

everlasting　law。　Perhaps　the　price　of　long　life　will　prove　to　be　the　price

that　the　ants　have　paid　for　it。　Perhaps；　upon　some　elder　planet；　that　price

has　already　been　paid；　and　the　power　to　produce　offspring　restricted　to　a

caste　morphologically　differentiated；　in　unimaginable　ways；　from　the　rest

of　the　species。。。







VII





But　while　the　facts　of　insect…biology　suggest　so　much　in　regard　to　the

future　course　of　human　evolution；　do　they　not　also　suggest　something　of

largest　significance　concerning　the　relation　of　ethics　to　cosmic　law？

Apparently；　the　highest　evolution　will　not　be　permitted　to　creatures

capable　of　what　human　moral　experience　has　in　all　areas　condemned。

Apparently；　the　highest　possible　strength　is　the　strength　of　unselfishness；

and　power　supreme　never　will　be　accorded　to　cruelty　or　to　lust。　There　may

be　no　gods；　but　the　forces　that　shape　and　dissolve　all　forms　of　being　would

seem　to　be　much　more　exacting　than　gods。　To　prove　a　〃dramatic　tendency〃　in

the　ways　of　the　stars　is　not　possible；　but　the　cosmic　process　seems

nevertheless　to　affirm　the　worth　of　every　human　system　of　ethics

fundamentally　opposed　to　human　egoism。



…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…



Notes



THE　STORY　OF　MIMI…NASHI…HOICHI

＇1＇　　See　my　Kotto；　for　a　description　of　these　curious　crabs。

＇2＇　　Or；　Shimonoseki。　The　town　is　also　known　by　the　name　of　Bakkan。

＇3＇　　The　biwa；　a　kind　of　four…stringed　lute；　is　chiefly　used　in　musical

recitative。　Formerly　the　professional　minstrels　who　recited　the

Heike…Monogatari；　and　other　tragical　histories；　were　called　biwa…hoshi；　or

〃lute…priests。〃　The　origin　of　this　appellation　is　not　clear；　but　it　is

possible　that　it　may　have　been　suggested　by　the　fact　that　〃lute…priests〃　as

well　as　blind　shampooers；　had　their　heads　shaven；　like　Buddhist　priests。

The　biwa　is　played　with　a　kind　of　plectrum；　called　bachi；　usually　made　of

horn。

（1）　　A　response　to　show　that　one　has　heard　and　is　listening　attentively。

＇4＇　　A　respectful　term；　signifying　the　opening　of　a　gate。　It　was　used　by

samurai　when　calling　to　the　guards　on　duty　at　a　lord's　gate　for　admission。

＇5＇　　Or　the　phrase　might　be　rendered；　〃for　the　pity　of　that　part　is　the

deepest。〃　The　Japanese　word　for　pity　in　the　original　text　is　〃aware。〃

＇6＇　　〃Traveling　incognito〃　is　at　least　the　meaning　of　the　original

phrase；　〃making　a　disguised　august…journey〃　（shinobi　no　go…ryoko）。

＇7＇　　The　Smaller　Pragna…Paramita…Hridaya…Sutra　is　thus　called　in　Japanese。

Both　the　smaller　and　larger　sutras　called　Pragna…Paramita　（〃Transcendent

Wisdom〃）　have　been　translated　by　the　late　Professor　Max　Muller；　and　can　be

found　in　volume　xlix。　of　the　Sacred　Books　of　the　East　（〃Buddhist　Mahayana

Sutras〃）。　　Apropos　of　the　magical　use　of　the　text；　as　described　in　this

story；　it　is　worth　remarking　that　the　subject　of　the　sutra　is　the　Doctrine

of　the　Emptiness　of　Forms；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　unreal　character　of　all

phenomena　or　noumena。。。　〃Form　is　emptiness；　and　emptiness　is　form。

Emptiness　is　not　different　from　form；　form　is　not　different　from　emptiness。

What　is　form　　that　is　emptiness。　What　is　emptiness　　that　is　form。。。

Perception；　name；　concept；　and　knowledge；　are　also　emptiness。。。　There　is　no

eye；　ear；　nose；　tongue；　body；　and　mind。。。　But　when　theenvelopment　of

consciousness　has　been　annihilated；　then　he　＇the　seeker＇　becomes　free　from

all　fear；　and　beyond　the　reach　of　change；　enjoying　final　Nirvana。〃



OSHIDORI

＇1＇　　From　ancient　time；　in　the　Far　East；　these　birds　have　been　regarded　as

emblems　of　conjugal　affection。

＇2＇　　There　is　a　pathetic　double　meaning　in　the　third　verse；　for　the

syllables　composing　the　proper　name　Akanuma　（〃Red　Marsh〃）　may　also　be　read

as　akanu…ma；　signifying　〃the　time　of　our　inseparable　（or　delightful）

relation。〃　So　the　poem　can　also　be　thus　rendered：　〃When　the　day　began　to

fail；　I　had　invited　him　to　accompany　me。。。！　Now；　after　the　time　of　that

happy　relation；　what　misery　for　the　one　who　must　slumber　alone　in　the

shadow　of　the　rushes！〃　　The　makomo　is　a　short　of　large　rush；　used　for

making　baskets。



THE　STORY　OF　O…TEI

（1）　　〃…sama〃　is　a　polite　suffix　attached　to　personal　names。

（2）　　A　Buddhist　term　commonly　used　to　signify　a　kind　of　heaven。

＇1＇　　The　Buddhist　term　zokumyo　（〃profane　name〃）　signifies　the　personal

name；　borne　during　life；　in　contradistinction　to　the　kaimyo　（〃sila…name〃）

or　homyo　（〃Law…name〃）　given　after　death；　religious　posthumous

appellations　inscribed　upon　the　tomb；　and　upon　the　mortuary　tablet　in　the

parish…temple。　　For　some　account　of　these；　see　my　paper　entitled；　〃The

Literature　of　the　Dead；〃　in　Exotics　and　Retrospectives。

＇2＇　　Buddhist　household　shrine。

（3）　　Direct　translation　of　a　Japanese　form　of　address　used　toward　young；

unmarried　women。



DIPLOMACY

（1）　　The　spacious　house　and　grounds　of　a　wealthy　person　is　thus　called。

（2）　　A　Buddhist　service　for　the　dead。



OF　A　MIRROR　AND　A　BELL

（1）　　Part　of　present…day　Shizuoka　Prefecture。

（2）　　The　two…hour　period　between　1　AM　and　3　AM。

（3）　　A　monetary　unit。



JIKININKI

（1）　　The　southern　part　of　present…day　Gifu　Prefecture。

＇1＇　　Literally；　a　man…eating　goblin。　The　Japanese　narrator　gives　also　the

Sanscrit　term；　〃Rakshasa；〃　but　this　word　is　quite　as　vague　as　jikininki；

since　there　are　many　kinds　of　Rakshasas。　Apparently　the　word　jikininki

signifies　here　one　of　the　Baramon…Rasetsu…Gaki；　forming　the　twenty…sixth

class　of　pretas　enumerated　in　the　old　Buddhist　books。

＇2＇　　A　Segaki…service　is　a　special　Buddhist　service　performed　on　behalf　of

beings　supposed　to　have　entered　into　the　condition　of　gaki　（pretas）；　or

hungry　spirits。　For　a　brief　account　of　such　a　service；　see　my　Japanese

Miscellany。

＇3＇　　Literally；　〃five…circle　＇or　five…zone＇　stone。〃　A　funeral　monument

consisting　of　five　parts　superimposed；　each　of　a　different　form；

symbolizing　the　five　mystic　elements：　Ether；　Air；　Fire；　Water；　Earth。



MUJINA

（1）　　A　kind　of　badger。　Certain　animals　were　thought　to　be　able　to　transform

themselves　and　cause　mischief　for　humans。

＇1＇　　O…jochu　（〃honorable　damsel〃）；　a　polite　form　of　address　used　in