Selected Essays of Roppo Kanda

Author: (Japan) Kōda Rohan, translated by Chen Dewen
Translator: Chen Dewen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-22
Features: An elderly monk once said, "Do not think that the pretty girls in a temple are superior to ordinary girls there. Actors, geishas, ruffians, and laborers—those who carry incense sticks are particularly numerous. A woman without children or relatives to rely on, who has spent long days being exploited, told me: 'I spent many years in a household with many comings and goings, witnessing the changes of all kinds of people. Now, whenever I see young men and women, I secretly wonder if their fate will be good or bad? What are you really thinking?' That young man called Matsuyama comes and goes, always tripping over and scattering others' geta. He is truly a reckless person. But when he has a little money, he immediately puts on flashy clothes and shows off. If he suddenly becomes wealthy, he will abandon his wife and live a life of pleasure outside. If he becomes poor, he will repeatedly leave his old wife for a new one and sell old friends for new ones. There is also this person named Umeyama. He always carries his own geta and places them neatly on one side of the shoe removal area so that others won’t step on them. The clothes he wears are always casual and never well-maintained. Such a person will neither rise to prominence nor fall into destitution, shedding tears on their robes. Although a bit stingy, they are not unkind or unreasonable. Another person named Okaeda replaces a pair of geta with colorful ribbons with cheap ones, alternating between them. When the geta were new, he always took them off neatly. But when they became a bit worn, he would just leave them scattered everywhere. Although he has no malice, he is a lazy person in the world. It is truly pitiful to be married to such a person. But he does have one redeeming quality: he doesn’t easily give up. As long as he is not influenced by bad people, his fate will gradually improve. Look at this person named Kuriyama. Has he ever bought anything with his own money? He always wears old geta. As the saying goes, 'Ride the tide and let yourself drift.' The spout of the urinal is made of twine twisted by himself, clumsy and ridiculous. The beam of the spout is broken, so he fills it with small stones, just keeping its original shape, which makes it even more clumsy and ridiculous. Even when he wears geta, there are always things that make you laugh. But he has bought many books. Moreover, although he speaks little and is not arrogant, his daily life is like that of a country bumpkin, yet he often thinks carefully. This person will surely achieve success and fame, remaining wealthy while remembering his past. What do you think? These are the people I judge by what they wear, and it is very crude, but it is much more accurate than divination, she said proudly.
A woman once said, "In the past, women would pluck the hair at their hairline to show off their necks. Now, women want to show off their foreheads and carefully paint them, neglecting their necks. They focus on what everyone can see and forget what is not easily visible. The world has advanced, but there are also more monkeys among people. A woman of humble origin but strong will said, 'When taking the train, it’s hard to find a seat, especially for women. In the past, when women saw a young man traveling alone, they would smile and approach him with a pained expression, and the man would usually give up his seat for you. Now, I dress poorly and look disheveled, feeling humble. Even if someone offers me a seat, I pretend not to notice it. From this, I realize that in tough times, a woman with no support must pay attention to her appearance and take care of her clothing! Especially as one grows older, it becomes easier to overlook how one treats others."