The Tale of Genji - Japan's Red Chamber Dream - Top Ten Ideal Book Collections in Asian Literature

Author: Murasaki Shikibu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Fifth Return of Genji
Now, let it be said that Prince Genji fell ill with malaria. Despite seeking various healers and having talismans drawn and incantations recited, his condition showed no improvement. Every noon, the fever would still break out. One day, he heard it said, "There is a renowned monk residing in a temple on the northern mountains. Last summer, when malaria raged, no one's incantations were effective except for this one monk's miraculous powers, which cured all the afflicted. If this illness persists, it will surely bring great calamity. Please, I beg you to go and seek his aid." Upon hearing this, Prince Genji immediately dispatched a messenger to the northern mountains to invite the venerable monk. The monk declined, saying, "I am advanced in years and find it difficult to walk. I cannot comply with your request." The messenger returned and reported the truth. With no other recourse, Prince Genji, accompanied by a few attendants in disguise, set off for the northern mountains at dawn.
It was late spring, and the flowers in the capital were nearing their end, while the cherry blossoms in the mountains were in full bloom. Upon arriving at the mountain, he saw spring clouds swirling around the trees, drifting with the wind, and found them utterly delightful. Being of noble birth and raised in the depths of the imperial palace, Prince Genji rarely went on excursions. Such scenery filled him with joy. The temple where the monk resided was hidden deep in the northern mountains. The area was surrounded by towering rocks, and behind the temple, the peaks soared into the clouds, the terrain steep and treacherous—like a fairyland. Upon entering the temple, Prince Genji did not announce his name. Yet, though dressed in simple robes, his noble bearing was unmistakable. The old monk, taken aback, exclaimed, "You must be the prince who summoned me yesterday. It is too kind of you to travel such a distance—I cannot bear the trouble! I have long renounced the world and have forgotten such matters as talismans and prayers. How could I dare to come personally?" As he spoke, he once again studied the prince, his face beaming with smiles. This holy monk, of great enlightenment, drew a talisman and asked the prince to drink it, then recited prayers to avert his misfortune.
By this time, the sun had just risen, casting radiant light everywhere. Prince Genji stepped outside the temple to gaze at the surrounding scenery. The temple was situated on high ground, from which all the other temples in the mountains could be seen. Descending along a winding path, he came upon a building surrounded by thatched walls, much like his own. The courtyard was lush with trees, and within stood neat houses and corridors, impeccably maintained yet full of life. Prince Genji asked, "Who lives here?" His attendants replied, "It is the monk who knows you, and he has been here for two years." The prince sighed, "So this too is the abode of a holy monk. It seems my visit here is rather out of place! Perhaps he already knows I have come." At that moment, several handsome young boys and girls emerged from the building, some fetching water, others picking flowers, all clear in their purpose. The attendants whispered among themselves, "Look, there are women there. Does the monk keep women? What kind of person is he?"