Pathway to Japanese Literature

I

Toshio was a boy who had been born very clever.
Therefore, even though he had only just turned eleven this year, he already knew about various aspects of the world and all sorts of things.
As for things he read in books and such, he would commit each one clearly to memory.

However, precisely because he had learned too much about various things, lately Toshio had conversely come to harbor many doubts.
First of all, why was there so much waste and so many seeds of discontent in the world? This had become Toshio’s current mystery.

For instance, in this world where humans were living so vigorously, epidemic bacilli would quietly emerge from some corner before anyone noticed, beautiful red flowers would bloom gorgeously from rough black soil, and just when you thought righteous, good people lived in poverty, there were also those who lived in wealth and leisure.
And then there were things like people dying and quarreling with each other...

“Ah, I don’t understand. No matter what, I just don’t understand.”
Toshio muttered to himself like this and was now doing nothing but shaking his head.

Toshio’s head had closed off completely into darkness under these circumstances.
With books becoming distasteful and friend visits offering no joy, he found himself listlessly leaving home alone to wander about.

The place he eventually reached was the vast field where in springtime he had listened to skylarks’ songs while gathering herbs with friends, and where in summer he had stepped on dewy green leaves during firefly hunts with his older sisters.
But now it was late autumn. Every blade of grass across the field had withered, spreading out reddish-white like aged men’s hair—disheveled and sparse.

"Oh, even the grassland where we used to frolic so joyfully has withered away so miserably."
"Why has it changed into such a faded reddish color?"
"It was always lush and green—how could it not let us play? How infuriating!"
"And now winter—that unpleasant season with no purpose—is going to come around again?"

While muttering such things, Toshio wandered all over the field.
Chased by Toshio’s bamboo branch, elderly grasshoppers with feeble legs and red dragonflies bearing emaciated wings tottered and stumbled about in confused flight.
The late autumn afternoon sunlight was drawn to Toshio’s broad, intelligent-looking forehead and his healthily firm cheeks.
And gently stroked and warmed the young meditator’s back.

II

Peep-peep, hallow-hallow.

Suddenly, from the crown of an exceptionally large zelkova tree standing solitary in the field's center came the cry of some unknown bird. Toshio hastily turned toward it. Yet with half-fallen yellowed leaves still clinging and branches that had stretched dominantly for centuries—carving out a small forest's span of sky to form dense shadows, massive burr-like clusters of kudzu vines clinging here and there—the bird must have hidden within those tangles, for its form remained entirely invisible to Toshio. Still the bird persisted—now swelling its voice into mysteriously exquisite resonance so near it vibrated Toshio's eardrums; now fading faintly beyond the clouds as if muffling its plaintive cry there—each shift imbuing its tone with a stiller, gentler quality that deepened Toshio's nostalgic yearning.

Indeed, Toshio was a child.
Lured by the small bird’s insistent calls, he had forgotten all his earlier grievances and doubts as he dashed toward the great zelkova tree.

“Where is the bird? What kind of bird is it?”

Toshio again intently looked up from there.
But strangely enough, the bird that had been singing so sweetly and nostalgically until now had completely vanished. Even when Toshio searched every corner of the large zelkova’s branches he was looking up at，not even the faintest flutter of wings could be heard，and all had fallen silent.

“Oh? What’s happened here?”

After a while, Toshio clenched his small fist and began striking the zelkova tree’s trunk.

“Sing, sing, little bird!”

While saying this, how long did Toshio continue striking?
But what answer could a sturdy trunk that had endured hundreds of years give to a boy’s fist like Toshio’s?
Would even one of those branches—firmly interlocked like an iron umbrella above his head—deign to loosen itself for him?
The entire tree stood maddeningly serene, while the remaining dead leaves on its branches—each catching sunlight upon their diminutive forms to bask in a final fleeting golden hue before scattering—shone with ephemeral contentment.

Toshio struck the zelkova trunk until his hands oozed through the skin, but ultimately couldn't call back the bird. Disheartened, he unclenched his fists and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his palm when suddenly he became aware of his body's exhaustion. Toshio's small body had become utterly exhausted to the point where he could no longer endure standing. Toshio involuntarily threw his body down onto one part of the zelkova roots that sprawled thick and gnarled in all directions like towering ocean waves, ending up facedown.

III

“Toshio!”
“Toshio!!”

Toshio, having been called in this manner, looked around his surroundings.

How utterly unexpected this was.
Wasn’t this figure sitting on the gnarled roots of the zelkova right beside Toshio—stroking his thick snow-white beard with his hand—none other than Grandfather, who had died and left Toshio’s household five years ago?

“Grandfather. Aren’t you my deceased grandfather?”

“Ha ha ha ha ha! What’s this about a dead grandfather, Toshio! I would never die!”

When Grandfather laughed heartily at Toshio’s astonishment, his flowing silver hair—rippling like liquid metal—was no different from that of the Grandfather who had lived at Toshio’s house five years prior. However, the eyes shining beneath Grandfather’s narrow, elongated eyelids differed from the kite-brown softness of the Grandfather who had resided at Toshio’s house—they emitted a blue, translucent light as if inlaid with emeralds. Moreover, Grandfather, who had always favored a black fur coat, now wore a silver robe whose hem trailed long behind him, matching the color of his hair and beard, while firmly planting a tall silver staff with one hand.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! What do you say, Toshio? As proof I haven’t died, here I sit properly before your very eyes, don’t I?”

“Yes, that’s true.
“But Grandfather—I distinctly remember you dying and leaving our house five years ago.
“For me... I just can’t believe you’re alive, Grandfather.”

“That’s right—it’s true that I died in your house five years ago and vanished from the human world.”
“However, from that moment on, I was immediately reborn into a place called the ‘Primordial Land.’”
“Ah, I see, Grandfather.”
“But what kind of place exactly is this ‘Primordial Land,’ Grandfather?”
“It is a country where all things from the world you inhabit—people and beasts, trees and grasses, birds and insects—are born from there, and must inevitably return there.”

“Ohhh... And in that country, there’s a king.”

“Indeed there is—a single splendid king exists.”

“What kind of king is he, and what is his name?”

“It’s God. God is the king of all beings. And God is also the king of the world you live in.”

“But Grandfather. In our world, every country indeed has its own proper king.”

“No—that is the king among humans established by God for humanity’s sake. That king too is noble, but above that, the people of your world have forgotten that there still exists the one and only King called ‘God.’”

“Then where is the ‘Primordial Land’ where God resides located?”

“It lies right next to the world you all inhabit.”

“So why can’t we see it?”

“That’s because of your eyes. The people of your world ceased gazing upon God for too long, so their eyes have become entirely clouded over.”

IV

Toshio blinked his own eyes—which Grandfather had called clouded—several times over.
And once again, Toshio peered into Grandfather’s eyes.

“Grandfather, did your eyes become so clear because you could see God?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“And Grandfather—do you always wear such a long robe and use a silver staff in the Primordial Land?”

“Well, not always.”
“At times I become white mist and fly about, or turn into black earth—changing into various shapes and colors—but no matter when or what I change into, I remain myself.”
“In that country, there’s no such inconvenient rule as a soul always having to remain in the same single form.”

“Well, Grandfather. Is today the day your form becomes human?”
“Is today the day when your form becomes human, Grandfather?”

“Well, today isn’t necessarily that day,” said Grandfather. “But to meet you—a human—I must take human form.”

“So Grandfather,” said Toshio, “you went out of your way to come see me? Do you have some business with me?”

Toshio forgot all about being told his eyes were clouded. He rounded them wide and stared even harder at Grandfather’s face. Seeing this, Grandfather laughed louder than before, but soon turned squarely toward Toshio and—now solemnly—

“Toshio, exactly right. You see, I came here today in my old form to save you—you who wander lost or grieve every day among humans who’ve forgotten God, living in unhappiness.”

Having said this, Grandfather took out a cylindrical eyeglass from his pocket and gave it to Toshio.

“Now, Toshio, look through this for a while.”
“If you peer into it, you’ll certainly be able to see God.”

“I see.”
“This is quite a mysterious eyeglass, isn’t it, Grandfather?”

“Not at all—there’s nothing mysterious about it. Inside this eyeglass, the entire state of when humans were first created by God has been fully prepared and preserved as a film.”

“Grandfather, where did you get this from?”

“This is what I specially borrowed from God to show you.”

Toshio promptly fitted the eyeglass firmly to his eyes.

Grandfather stood up straight and began explaining the film that appeared before Toshio's eyes.
Each time Grandfather swung the silver staff—which he had now taken back into his hand—glinting as he did so, the film rotated onward.

V

From this point onward, for some time, there continued nothing but Grandfather’s explanations about the Film.

What first appeared clearly before Toshio’s eyes was the figure of an indescribably noble being standing against a backdrop of vast sky, earth, sea, and sun.

“That is God standing in the Primordial Land.”

Grandfather said.
Toshio continued to stare intently.

The Film rotated.

God was holding one large, pure white egg in the palm of one hand.

“That is the treasured egg that God created one day—the only one of its kind.”

Grandfather’s explanation gradually progressed.

God let the egg drop with a casual flick, shattering it.
Then from that crack emerged four small birds—red, white, black, and blue—bursting forth with vigor.
And then, in the blink of an eye, those small birds each turned their heads toward the four cardinal directions.

First, the White Bird’s head turned toward the white clouds in the sky; the Black Bird’s head toward the black soil of the earth; the Blue Bird’s head toward the blue sea; and the Red Bird turned straight toward the bright red sun—all firmly fixing their gazes as if driven into place.

“Oh, so the world truly was bright red like my wings after all!”

The Red Bird gazed at the sun and chirped in a delighted manner.

Then, the Blue Bird facing the sea,

“No, this world is blue like me,”

the Blue Bird said triumphantly.
However, this time, the White Bird—who was doing nothing but gazing up at the white clouds—

“Both of those are wrong. This world is entirely white,”

contradicted what the two previous birds had said.

Finally, the Black Bird, who had been staring solely at the black soil, pushed aside all the other birds’ words,

“Why, why must the world be jet-black like me?”

the Black Bird shouted.

“No—it’s red!”

“What? It’s black!”

“And white as well!”

“It’s nothing but blue!”

Thus began the endless quarrel among the four small birds—comrades facing away from each other—who had started this dispute.
Then, God, who until that moment had been silently observing this state of affairs from nearby,

“Let each bird who believes in blue fly toward blue regions; those declaring red toward red; those convinced of black toward black; and those singing of white toward white.”

He solemnly commanded.

VI

The Film rotated, and a scene from seven years after the Small Birds had each departed in their respective directions appeared.

In front of Toshio, four Small Birds gathered together once more.
However, this time, they were by no means comrades facing away from each other as before, but instead pressed their heads together in mutual affection.

“Blue Bird, seven years ago, I was utterly single-minded.”

The Red Bird said bashfully to the Blue Bird, “It was I who should apologize, Red Bird.”
In response, the Blue Bird said the same thing: “White Bird, I must apologize for having been so stubborn seven years ago.”
As the Black Bird spoke these words,
“No, I was too stubborn myself,”
the White Bird also bowed their head.
And then, the four Small Birds lowered their four adorable heads all at once and exchanged mutual apologies.

Then, once again, the figure of God appeared.

“Small Birds, what are you apologizing to each other for?”

And God inquired.

The Red Bird was the first to speak.

“Seven years ago now, I concluded that this world was nothing but bright red, separated from the other Small Birds, and flew straight toward the sun with single-minded determination.”
“At first, I was so delighted I could hardly stand it that my wings and the sun were both equally bright red.”
“But by the end of the third year, I had grown too accustomed to seeing nothing but bright red, and began to feel somewhat dissatisfied.”
“And by the end of the fourth year, my eyes had become utterly bored and completely exhausted.”
“And so, when that happened, I instead summoned fierce courage, recklessly flapping my wings faster as I tried to fly toward and cling to the sun.”
“It was precisely the end of the fifth year when, as I abruptly collided with the sun, my eyes were nearly scorched and blistered.”
“That was when.”
“In my agony, I instinctively turned to look behind me.”
“And what do you think I saw?”
“Until now, I had not even glanced behind me, but there in the far distance beyond my own back, verdant water was gushing forth abundantly.”
“When my eyes beheld this, the searing heat that had nearly scorched them was washed away, and how cool and clear they became!”
“I was so happy I couldn't stand it.”
“And also, when I parted with the other Small Birds, I was terribly ashamed of how stubbornly I had insisted that this world was nothing but red.”
“I must hurry to the water and apologize to the Blue Bird.”
“And I thought we must get along well.”
Then my wings suddenly turned toward the water and shot forward like an arrow.
“This time, with speed more than double what it had been when I came, I arrived here after just two years.”

VII

God listened to the Red Bird’s story and nodded with a gentle smile.

“God.
“I too have mysteriously returned here at the same time through a process much like Red Bird’s.”
“The only difference was being unable to endure the heat of fire and coldness of water.”

said the Blue Bird.

“In my case too—no matter how far I went through this pure white expanse of billowy, insubstantial white clouds, with nowhere to rest my eyes or body—when I became utterly exhausted, my head naturally turned downward, and I clearly saw the black, settled earth’s depths where wings could finally rest. So I hurriedly made my way down here.”
“Then (no matter how deep I dug, the soil was pitch black—”
"—nearly suffocating— when I encountered Black Bird climbing up gasping for air."

“And so, everyone has gathered here together in this way.”

And the four Small Birds said in unison, finally addressing God.

“I understand.”
“Now then, what do you think?”
“Since you’ve all become good friends now, why not stay together and blend your four unique qualities to create something collaboratively?”

“We have truly come to no longer believe that only one color is precious.”
“By harmonizing everyone’s colors, what should we make?”

And so the four Small Birds thought for a while, but

“God.
We would like to try creating something resembling your form.
May we have your permission?”

And once again, the four Small Birds said in unison.

“You all have aligned your intentions splendidly. Very well. You may commence at once. I shall bestow upon it the name ‘human.’”

God then

“First, Red Bird.”
“What part of the human will you become?”

God inquired.

“I will become the human’s love-burning lips and a heart filled to the brim with sincerity,” answered the Red Bird.

And the Red Bird answered.

“What will White Bird become?”

When God said this,

“I will become neatly aligned teeth and healthy bones.”

said the White Bird.

“What will Black Bird become?”

“Yes, I will become black hair that shines with hope and the firm strength of legs.”

“What will Blue Bird become?”

“God.”
“I will become clear blue eyes and abundant wisdom hidden in the shadow of a broad forehead.”

Hearing this，God clapped His hands once with satisfaction．

“All of you have truly excellent ideas. But if a human were created all alone, they would surely grow lonely living that way.”

Having declared this, God brought forth two large jars and a small jar there.

Part Eight

The Small Birds pulled out their right wings and threw them into the large jar, and their left wings into the small jar, each from their own bodies.

“Very well.
“With this, two complete humans will be formed.
I will put souls into these humans, and watch over their future forever.
Your role is already complete.”

And God gently told the four Small Birds.

The Film started rolling again.

In front, next to the larger of the two jars placed before God, stood one sturdy-looking human, and next to the other smaller jar stood another human who was far more beautiful than the first.

“Man.”

And God summoned the large and sturdy Man.

“Woman.”

And this time, God summoned the small and beautiful Woman.

“You have been completely created. Now.
Go and begin your life.
I have prepared a separate world for you to inhabit.
I have apportioned from my domain the vast land, sky, sea, and sunlight that your eyes cannot fully perceive.
Come now!
Go live together harmoniously and produce many offspring!”

When God said this, the man and the woman bowed respectfully and prepared to take their leave from His presence.
Then God called the two of them to stop once again.

“Here—take this jar into your hands; into this I will place seeds of ‘destiny,’ one by one. If you carefully nurture these seeds, your happiness will always fill this jar,” God declared.

The Man took the large jar and held it up reverently, while the Woman cradled the small jar and bowed her head.

Finally, God declared:

“Listen well. The Small Birds who created you were born from an egg I laid. Therefore, I am none other than your very first parent. Even when you go to your world, you must not forget me. When you go to your world and if you there come to desire something or conceive a wish, you should either look up to the sky or prostrate yourselves on the ground and earnestly pray by calling my name. I will surely grant it if I deem it beneficial for you. Now then, Man—take care of the small woman as you go. Woman—live revering the large man.”

Having said this, God alternately placed His hands once each upon the heads of the man and the woman.

At that moment, suddenly, the Film snapped shut.

Toshio—

“Ah!”

Startled, he inadvertently dropped the glasses he had been holding in his hand.

“That’s enough.”
“Toshio!”
“I have finished showing you everything.”

While saying this, Grandfather picked up Toshio’s dropped glasses, carefully brushed off the dust, and put them into his pocket.

Part Nine

Grandfather and Toshio once again sat down on the roots of the great zelkova tree and faced each other as before.

“Toshio.
“Through the Film you just saw, you must have understood that your distant ancestors were created by the Small Birds who are God’s children.”
“And that your very first parent is indeed a single God.”

“Yes.”
“I’ve completely come to understand about God, truly!”
“And Grandfather—”
“What became of the humans in the Film after they bid farewell to God?”

“Now listen well.”

“That too I learned in full from God.”
“After parting from God, that man and woman eagerly went to the human world.”
“There, everything had been prepared exactly as God had commanded.”
“The humans joyfully began living there.”
“As time passed, their stomachs gradually began to grow empty, so the man promptly recalled what God had commanded and began praying to the sky.”
“The woman also prostrated herself on the ground and prayed.”
Then God immediately heeded their prayers—multiplying fish in the sea as food for the humans, planting grains across fields, creating groves where they could rest beneath flourishing grasses when weary, bringing flowers into bloom to comfort them, sending winds to cool them. Moreover, exactly as the humans desired, He even prepared various birds, beasts, and insects to serve as their companions.
“Because the humans lived filled with considerable happiness and peace, never forgetting even for a moment to give thanks to God, working diligently while maintaining good relations with all things in the world, the destiny seeds always grew fresh and lush within the two jars.”

“Grandfather, even back then, did beautiful flowers bloom from dirty soil?”

“Dirty?”
“Nonsense! Why would the soil be dirty? As you saw even now in the Film, the soil too was splendidly received from God. The humans of that time would never have thought of it as dirty.”

“Then why is it that the beasts who used to be on such good terms with humans back then are now holing up deep in the mountains and opposing them?”

“Humans gradually multiplied their many descendants after that. Not only did they no longer need friends besides humans, but they kept only insects with beautiful voices, beasts that aided their labor, and birds with lovely appearances—discarding and despising all others. As a result, snakes grew resentful and slithered about sluggishly; frogs croaked noisily; bees came buzzing angrily to sting in their vexation; and wolves and lions sharpened their fierce fangs. By that time, humans had already mostly forgotten both God’s divine favor and the matter of the four Small Birds. And in the end, even among themselves, they started fighting over things like enemies and allies. They ended up even throwing out the precious destiny jars they had received from God.”

“But I heard from someone that when humans fight, it’s because the devil is somewhere inciting them to do it.”

“No—God would never place even a single unnecessary thing like devils or anything unbeneficial for humans into the precious world He created.”
“The devil refers to the human heart when people not only forget God’s grace but also kill and harm each other.”

Grandfather continued speaking, trying to dispel all of Toshio’s doubts.

“Then humans began to gradually neglect the precious bodies that the four Small Birds had painstakingly collaborated to create.”

“God, in order to reform them, occasionally bestows illness upon humans.”

“Therefore, when ill, obediently submitting to the illness and recuperating is what is best for your own body and shows obedience to God.”

“Furthermore, human death is when God occasionally calls souls to His side to have them undergo training, then after some time sends them back to the human world.”

“At that time, those who had been arrogant in the human world would invariably be made to be born into poor households, and those who had worked in the previous world would unfailingly be made to be born as people of wealthy households—this is what is called karmic destiny, the righteous reward and punishment that God bestows upon humans.”

“Therefore, someone like me—who, as your family’s grandfather in my time, spent money so wastefully and idled about—will likely be reborn into quite a poor household this time.”

“But I do not intend to lament.”

“So if I work diligently without complaint, I will surely be reborn as someone from a wealthy household in the next world.”

“Thank you. Grandfather, I’ve completely understood everything.”

“I see. That’s good.”
“Ah!”
“Your eyes have become as clear as emeralds.”

“In these eyes, God is always reflected, isn’t He?”

“That’s right.
“Once reflected in those eyes, nothing in your world will remain as doubt or discontent.”
“And you will be able to rejoice in and love everything and everyone.”
“Isn’t that a blessing?”
“Isn’t it delightful? Go and fully share what you’ve seen with the people of your world.”
“Well, my role is now finished!”

Grandfather’s figure vanished suddenly from Toshio’s eyes at that moment, as if being erased.

*Swee-swee, swee-swee.*

*Haa-roo, haa-roo.*

………………

Then, suddenly, the bird from earlier began singing again from the zelkova treetop. However, Toshio no longer even attempted to look up at the bird's form. In order to quickly return to his village and tell people about what he had seen, he hurriedly left the zelkova tree's knotted roots.

Strangely enough, the bamboo staff Toshio had cast aside had turned into a silver staff identical to Grandfather’s.

*Swee-swee, swee-swee.*

*Haa-roo, haa-roo.*
………………
And Toshio’s high, piercing voice—as he eagerly hurried toward the village while imitating the bird in the zelkova treetop—echoed across the edge of the fields for some time.