As representing that general quality of moral experience which remains
almost unaffected by social modifications of any sort, the proverbial
sayings of a people must always possess a special psychological
interest for thinkers. In this kind of folklore the oral and the
written literature of Japan is rich to a degree that would require a
large book to exemplify. To the subject as a whole no justice could be
done within the limits of a single essay. But for certain classes of
proverbs and proverbial phrases something can be done within even a few
pages; and sayings related to Buddhism, either by allusion or
derivation, form a class which seems to me particularly worthy of
study. Accordingly, with the help of a Japanese friend, I have selected
and translated the following series of examples,—choosing the more
simple and familiar where choice was possible, and placing the
originals in alphabetical order to facilitate reference. Of course the
selection is imperfectly representative; but it will serve to
illustrate certain effects of Buddhist teaching upon popular thought
and speech.
1.—_Akuji mi ni tomaru._
All evil done clings to the body.[1]
[1] The consequence of any evil act or thought never,—so long as karma
endures,—will cease to act upon the existence of the person guilty of
it.
2.—_Atama soru yori kokoro wo soré._
Better to shave the heart than to shave the head.[2]
[2] Buddhist nuns and priests have their heads completely shaven. The
proverb signifies that it is better to correct the heart,—to conquer
all vain regrets and desires,—than to become a religious. In common
parlance the phrase “to shave the head” means to become a monk or a
nun.
3.—_Au wa wakaré no hajimé._
Meeting is only the beginning of separation.[3]
[3] Regret and desire are equally vain in this world of impermanency;
for all joy is the beginning of an experience that must have its pain.
This proverb refers directly to the sutra-text,—_Shōja hitsumetsu
é-sha-jori_,—” All that live must surely die; and all that meet will
surely part.”
4.—_Banji wa yumé._
All things[4] are merely dreams.
[4] Literally, “ten thousand things.”
5.—_Bonbu mo satoréba hotoké nari._
Even a common man by obtaining knowledge becomes a Buddha.[5]
[5] The only real differences of condition are differences in
knowledge of the highest truth.
6.—_Bonnō kunō._
All lust is grief.[6]
[6] All sensual desire invariably brings sorrow.
7—_Buppō to wara-ya no amé, dété kiké._
One must go outside to hear Buddhist doctrine or the sound of rain on a
straw roof.[7]
[7] There is an allusion here to the condition of the _shukké_
(priest): literally, “one who has left his house.” The proverb
suggests that the higher truths of Buddhism cannot be acquired by
those who continue to live in the world of follies and desires.
8.—_Busshō en yori okoru._
Out of karma-relation even the divine nature itself grows.[8]
[8] There is good as well as bad karma. Whatever hap-piness we enjoy
is not less a consequence of the acts and thoughts of previous lives,
than is any misfortune that comes to us. Every good thought and act
contributes to the evolution of the Buddha-nature within each of us.
Another proverb [No. 10],—_En naki shujō wa doshi gatashi_,—further
illustrates the meaning of this one.
9.—_Enkō ga tsuki wo toran to suru ga gotoshi._
Like monkeys trying to snatch the moon’s reflection on water.[9]
[9] Allusion to a parable, said to have been related by the Buddha
himself, about some monkeys who found a well under a tree, and mistook
for reality the image of the moon in the water. They resolved to seize
the bright apparition. One monkey suspended himself by the tail from a
branch overhanging the well, a second monkey clung to the first, a
third to the second, a fourth to the third, and so on,—till the long
chain of bodies had almost reached the water. Suddenly the branch
broke under the unaccustomed weight; and all the monkeys were drowned.
10.—_En naki shujō wa doshi gatashi._
To save folk having no karma-relation would be difficult indeed![10]
[10] No karma-relation would mean an utter absence of merit as well as
of demerit.
11.—_Fujō seppō suru hōshi wa, birataké ni umaru._
The priest who preaches foul doctrine shall be reborn as a fungus.
12.—_Gaki mo ninzu._
Even gaki (_prêtas_) can make a crowd.[11]
[11] Literally: “Even gaki are a multitude (or, ‘population’).” This
is a popular saying used in a variety of ways. The ordinary meaning is
to the effect that no matter how poor or miserable the individuals
composing a multitude, they collectively represent a respectable
force. Jocosely the saying is sometimes used of a crowd of wretched or
tired-looking people,—sometimes of an assembly of weak boys desiring
to make some demonstration,—sometimes of a miserable-looking company
of soldiers.—Among the lowest classes of the people it is not uncommon
to call a deformed or greedy person a “gaki.”
13.—_Gaki no mé ni midzu miézu._
To the eyes of gaki water is viewless.[12]
[12] Some authorities state that those _prêtas_ who suffer especially
from thirst, as a consequence of faults committed in former lives, are
unable to see water.—This proverb is used in speaking of persons too
stupid or vicious to perceive a moral truth.
14.—_Goshō wa daiji._
The future life is the all-important thing.[13]
[13] The common people often use the curious expression
“_gosho-daiji_” as an equivalent for “extremely important.”
15.—_Gun-mō no tai-zō wo saguru ga gotoshi._
Like a lot of blind men feeling a great elephant.[14]
[14] Said of those who ignorantly criticise the doctrines of
Buddhism.—The proverb alludes to a celebrated fable in the _Avadânas_,
about a number of blind men who tried to decide the form of an
elephant by feeling the animal. One, feeling the leg, declared the
elephant to be like a tree; another, feeling the trunk only, declared
the elephant to be like a serpent; a third, who felt only the side,
said that the elephant was like a wall; a fourth, grasping the tail,
said that the elephant was like a rope, etc.
16.—_Gwai-men nyo-Bosatsu; nai shin nyo-Yasha._
In outward aspect a Bodhisattva; at innermost heart a demon.[15]
[15] _Yasha_ (Sanscrit _Yaksha_), a man-devouring demon.
17.—_Hana wa né ni kaeru._
The flower goes back to its root.[16]
[16] This proverb is most often used in reference to death,—signifying
that all forms go back into the nothingness out of which they spring.
But it may also be used in relation to the law of cause-and-effect.
18.—_Hibiki no koë ni ozuru ga gotoshi._
Even as the echo answers to the voice.[17]
[17] Referring to the doctrine of cause-and-effect. The philosophical
beauty of the comparison will be appreciated only if we bear in mind
that even the _tone_ of the echo repeats the tone of the voice.
19.—_Hito wo tasukéru ga shukhé no yuku._
The task of the priest is to save mankind.
20.—_Hi wa kiyurédomo tō-shin wa kiyédzu._
Though the flame be put out, the wick remains.[18]
[18] Although the passions may be temporarily overcome, their sources
remain. A proverb of like meaning is, _Bonnō no inu oëdomo sarazu:_
“Though driven away, the Dog of Lust cannot be kept from coming back
again.”
21.—_Hotoké mo motowa bonbu._
Even the Buddha was originally but a common man.
22.—_Hotoké ni naru mo shami wo beru._
Even to become a Buddha one must first become a novice.
23.—_Hotoké no kao mo sando._
Even a Buddha’s face,—only three times.[19]
[19] This is a short popular form of the longer proverb, _Hotoké no
kao mo sando nazuréba, hara wo tatsu:_ “Stroke even the face of a
Buddha three times, and his anger will be roused.”
24.—_Hotoké tanondé Jigoku é yuku._
Praying to Buddha one goes to hell.[20]
[20] The popular saying, _Oni no Nembutsu_,—“a devil’s praying,”—has a
similar meaning.
25.—_Hotoké tsukutté tamashii irédzu._
Making a Buddha without putting in the soul.[21]
[21] That is to say, making an image of the Buddha without giving it a
soul. This proverb is used in reference to the conduct of those who
undertake to do some work, and leave the most essential part of the
work unfinished. It contains an allusion to the curious ceremony
called _Kai-gen_, or “Eye-Opening.” This _Kai-gen_ is a kind of
consecration, by virtue of which a newly-made image is supposed to
become animated by the real presence of the divinity represented.
26.—_Ichi-ju no kagé, ichi-ga no nagaré, tashō no en._
Even [the experience of] a single shadow or a single flowing of water,
is [made by] the karma-relations of a former life.[22]
[22] Even so trifling an occurrence as that of resting with another
person under the shadow of a tree, or drinking from the same spring
with another person, is caused by the karma-relations of some previous
existence.
27.—_Ichi-mō shū-mō wo hiku._
One blind man leads many blind men.[23]
[23] From the Buddhist work _Dai-chi-dō-ron_.—The reader will find a
similar proverb in Rhys-David’s “_Buddhist Suttas_” (Sacred Books of
the East), p. 173,—together with a very curious parable, cited in a
footnote, which an Indian commentator gives in explanation.
28.—_Ingwa na ko._
A karma-child.[24]
[24] A common saying among the lower classes in reference to an
unfortunate or crippled child. Here the word _ingwa_ is used
especially in the retributive sense. It usually signifies evil karma;
_kwahō_ being the term used in speaking of meritorious karma and its
results. While an unfortunate child is spoken of as “a child of
_ingwa_,” a very lucky person is called a “_kwahō-mono_,”—that is to
say, an instance, or example of _kwahō_.
29.—_Ingwa wa, kuruma no wa._
Cause-and-effect is like a wheel.[25]
[25] The comparison of _karma_ to the wheel of a wagon will be
familiar to students of Buddhism. The meaning of this proverb is
identical with that of the _Dhammapada_ verse:—“If a man speaks or
acts with an evil thought, pain follows him as the wheel follows the
foot of the ox that draws the carriage.”
30.—_Innen ga fukai._
The karma-relation is deep.[26]
[26] A saying very commonly used in speaking of the attachment of
lovers, or of the unfortunate results of any close relation between
two persons.
31.—_Inochi wa fū-zen no tomoshibi._
Life is a lamp-flame before a wind.[27]
[27] Or, “like the flame of a lamp exposed to the wind.” A frequent
expression in Buddhist literature is “the Wind of Death.”
32.—_Issun no mushi ni mo, gobu no tamashii._
Even a worm an inch long has a soul half-an-inch long.[28]
[28] Literally, “has a soul of five _bu_,”—five _bu_ being equal to
half of the Japanese inch. Buddhism forbids all taking of life, and
classes as _living_ things (_Ujō_) all forms having sentiency. The
proverb, however,—as the use of the word “soul” (_tamashii_)
implies,—reflects popular belief rather than Buddhist philosophy. It
signifies that any life, however small or mean, is entitled to mercy.
33.—_Iwashi[29] no atama mo shinjin kara._
Even the head of an _iwashi_, by virtue of faith, [will have power to
save, or heal].
[29] The _iwashi_ is a very small fish, much resembling a sardine. The
proverb implies that the object of worship signifies little, so long
as the prayer is made with perfect faith and pure intention.
34.—_Jigō-jitoku._[30]
The fruit of ones own deeds [in a previous state of existence].
[30] Few popular Buddhist phrases are more often used than this.
_Jigō_ signifies ones own acts or thoughts; _jitoku_, to bring upon
oneself,—nearly always in the sense of misfortune, when the word is
used in the Buddhist way. “Well, it is a matter of _Jigō-jitoku_,”
people will observe on seeing a man being taken to prison; meaning,
“He is reaping the consequence of his own faults.”
35.—_Jigoku dé hotoké._
Like meeting with a Buddha in hell.[31]
[31] Refers to the joy of meeting a good friend in time of misfortune.
The above is an abbreviation. The full proverb is, _Jigoku dé hotoké
hotoke ni ōta yo da_.
36.—_Jigoku Gokuraku wa kokoro ni ari._
Hell and Heaven are in the hearts of men.[32]
[32] A proverb in perfect accord with the higher Buddhism.
37.—_Jigoku mo sumika._
Even Hell itself is a dwelling-place.[33]
[33] Meaning that even those obliged to live in hell must learn to
accommodate themselves to the situation. One should always try to make
the best of circumstances. A proverb of kindred signification is,
_Sumeba, Miyako:_ “Wheresoever ones home is, that is the Capital [or,
imperial City].”
38.—_Jigoku ni mo shiru bito._
Even in hell old acquaintances are welcome.
39.—_Kagé no katachi ni shitagau gotoshi._
Even as the shadow follows the shape.[34]
[34] Referring to the doctrine of cause-and-effect. Compare with verse
2 of the _Dhammapada_.
40.—_Kané wa Amida yori bikaru._
Money shines even more brightly than Amida.[35]
[35] Amitâbha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Light. His image in the
temples is usually gilded from head to foot.—There are many other
ironical proverbs about the power of wealth,—such as _Jigoku no sata
mo kané shidai:_ “Even the Judgments of Hell may be influenced by
money.”
41.—_Karu-toki no Jizō-gao; nasu-toki no Emma-gao._
Borrowing-time, the face of Jizō; repaying-time, the face of Emma.[36]
[36] Emma is the Chinese and Japanese Yama,—in Buddhism the Lord of
Hell, and the Judge of the Dead. The proverb is best explained by the
accompanying drawings, which will serve to give an idea of the
commoner representations of both divinities.
[Illustration: Jizō]
[Illustration: Emma Dai-ō]
42.—_Kiité Gokuraku, mité Jigoku._
Heard of only, it is Paradise; seen, it is Hell.[37]
[37] Rumor is never trustworthy.
43.—_Kōji mon wo idézu: akuji sen ni wo hashiru._
Good actions go not outside of the gate: bad deeds travel a thousand
_ri_.
44.—_Kokoro no koma ni tadzuna wo yuru-suna._
Never let go the reins of the wild colt of the heart.
45.—_Kokoro no oni ga mi wo séméru._
The body is tortured only by the demon of the heart.[38]
[38] Or “mind.” That is to say that we suffer only from the
consequences of our own faults.—The demon-torturer in the Buddhist
hell says to his victim:—“Blame not me!—I am only the creation of your
own deeds and thoughts: you made me for this!”—Compare with No. 36.
46.—_Kokoro no shi to wa naré; kokoro wo shi to sezaré._
Be the teacher of your heart: do not allow your heart to become your
teacher.
47.—_Kono yo wa kari no yado._
This world is only a resting-place.[39]
[39] “This world is but a travellers’ inn,” would be an almost equally
correct translation. _Yado_ literally means a lodging, shelter, inn;
and the word is applied often to those wayside resting-houses at which
Japanese travellers halt during a journey. _Kari_ signifies temporary,
transient, fleeting,—as in the common Buddhist saying, _Kono yo kari
no yo:_ “This world is a fleeting world.” Even Heaven and Hell
represent to the Buddhist only halting places upon the journey to
Nirvâna.
48.—_Kori wo chiribamé; midzu ni égaku._
To inlay ice; to paint upon water.[40]
[40] Refers to the vanity of selfish effort for some merely temporary
end.
49.—_Korokoro to
Naku wa yamada no
Hototogisu,
Chichi nitéya aran,
Haha nitéya aran._
The bird that cries _korokoro_ in the mountain rice-field I know to be
a _hototogisu;_—yet it may have been my father; it may have been my
mother.[41]
[41] This verse-proverb is cited in the Buddhist work _Wōjō Yōshū_,
with the following comment:—“Who knows whether the animal in the
field, or the bird in the mountain-wood, has not been either his
father or his mother in some former state of existence?”—The
_hototogisu_ is a kind of cuckoo.
50.—_Ko wa Sangai no kubikase._
A child is a neck-shackle for the Three States of Existence.[42]
[42] That is to say, The love of parents for their child may impede
their spiritual progress—not only in this world, but through all their
future states of being,—just as a _kubikasé_, or Japanese cangue,
impedes the movements of the person upon whom it is placed. Parental
affection, being the strongest of earthly attachments, is particularly
apt to cause those whom it enslaves to commit wrongful acts in the
hope of benefiting their offspring.—The term Sangai here signifies the
three worlds of Desire, Form, and Formlessness,—all the states of
existence below Nirvâna. But the word is sometimes used to signify the
Past, the Present, and the Future.
51.—_Kuchi wa wazawai no kado._
The mouth is the front-gate of all misfortune.[43]
[43] That is to say, The chief cause of trouble is unguarded speech.
The word Kado means always the main entrance to a residence.
52.—_Kwahō wa, nété maté._
If you wish for good luck, sleep and wait.[44]
[44] _Kwahō_, a purely Buddhist term, signifying good fortune as the
result of good actions in a previous life, has come to mean in common
parlance good fortune of any kind. The proverb is often used in a
sense similar to that of the English saying: “Watched pot never
boils.” In a strictly Buddhist sense it would mean, “Do not be too
eager for the reward of good deeds.”
53.—_Makanu tané wa haënu._
Nothing will grow, if the seed be not sown.[45]
[45] Do not expect harvest, unless you sow the seed. Without earnest
effort no merit can be gained.
54.—_Matéba, kanrō no hiyori._
If you wait, ambrosial weather will come.[46]
[46] _Kanrō_, the sweet dew of Heaven, or _amrita_. All good things
come to him who waits.
55.—_Meidō no michi ni Ō wa nashi._
There is no King on the Road of Death.[47]
[47] Literally, “on the Road of Meidō.” The _Meidō_ is the Japanese
Hades,—the dark under-world to which all the dead must journey.
56.—_Mekura hebi ni ojizu._
The blind man does not fear the snake.[48]
[48] The ignorant and the vicious, not understanding the law of
cause-and-effect, do not fear the certain results of their folly.
57.—_Mitsuréba, hakuru._
Having waxed, wanes.[49]
[49] No sooner has the moon waxed full than it begins to wane. So the
height of prosperity is also the beginning of fortunes decline.
58.—_Mon zen no kozō narawanu kyō wo yomu._
The shop-boy in front of the temple-gate repeats the sutra which he
never learned.[50]
[50] _Kozō_ means “acolyte” as well as “shop-boy,”“errand-boy,” or
“apprentice;” but in this case it refers to a boy employed in a shop
situated near or before the gate of a Buddhist temple. By constantly
hearing the sutra chanted in the temple, the boy learns to repeat the
words. A proverb of kindred meaning is, _Kangaku-In no suzumé wa,
Mōgyū wo sayézuru:_ “The sparrows of Kangaku-In [an ancient seat of
learning] chirp the Mōgyū,”—a Chinese text formerly taught to young
students. The teaching of either proverb is excellently expressed by a
third:—_Narau yori wa naréro:_ “Rather than study [an art], get
accustomed to it,”—that is to say, “keep constantly in contact with
it.” Observation and practice are even better than study.
59.—_Mujō no kazé wa, toki erabazu._
The Wind of Impermanency does not choose a time.[51]
[51] Death and Change do not conform their ways to human expectation.
60.—_Neko mo Busshō ari._
In even a cat the Buddha-nature exists.[52]
[52] Notwithstanding the legend that only the cat and the _mamushi_ (a
poisonous viper) failed to weep for the death of the Buddha.
61.—_Néta ma ga Gokuraku._
The interval of sleep is Paradise.[53]
[53] Only during sleep can we sometimes cease to know the sorrow and
pain of this world. (Compare with No. 83.)
62.—_Nijiu-go Bosatsu mo soré-soré no yaku._
Even each of the Twenty-five Bodhisattvas has his own particular duty
to perform.
63.—_Nin mité, hō toké._
[First] see the person, [then] preach the doctrine.[54]
[54] The teaching of Buddhist doctrine should always be adapted to the
intelligence of the person to be instructed. There is another proverb
of the same kind,—_Ki ni yorité, hō wo toké:_ “According to the
understanding [of the person to be taught], preach the Law.”
64.—_Ninshin ukégataku Buppoō aigatashi._
It is not easy to be born among men, and to meet with [the good fortune
of hearing the doctrine of] Buddhism.[55]
[55] Popular Buddhism teaches that to be born in the world of mankind,
and especially among a people professing Buddhism, is a very great
privilege. However miserable human existence, it is at least a state
in which some knowledge of divine truth may be obtained; whereas the
beings in other and lower conditions of life are relatively incapable
of spiritual progress.
65.—_Oni mo jiu-hachi._
Even a devil [is pretty] at eighteen.[56]
[56] There are many curious sayings and proverbs about the oni, or
Buddhist devil,—such as _Oni no mé ni mo namida_, “tears in even a
devil’s eyes;”—Oni no kakuran, “devil’s cholera” (said of the
unexpected sickness of some very strong and healthy person), etc.,
etc.—The class of demons called _Oni_, properly belong to the Buddhist
hells, where they act as torturers and jailers. They are not to be
confounded with the _Ma, Yasha, Kijin_, and other classes of evil
spirits. In Buddhist art they are represented as beings of enormous
strength, with the heads of bulls and of horses. The bull-headed
demons are called _Go-zu;_ the horse-headed _Mé-zu_.
66.—_Oni mo mi, narétaru ga yoshi._
Even a devil, when you become accustomed to the sight of him, may prove
a pleasant acquaintance.
67.—_Oni ni kanabō._
An iron club for a demon.[57]
[57] Meaning that great power should be given only to the strong.
68.—_Oni no nyōbo ni kijin._
A devil takes a goblin to wife.[58]
[58] Meaning that a wicked man usually marries a wicked woman.
69.—_Onna no ké ni wa dai-zō mo tsunagaru._
With one hair of a woman you can tether even a great elephant.
70.—_Onna wa Sangai ni iyé nashi._
Women have no homes of their own in the Three States of Existence.
71.—_Oya no ingwa ga ko ni mukuü._
The karma of the parents is visited upon the child.[59]
[59] Said of the parents of crippled or deformed children. But the
popular idea here expressed is not altogether in accord with the
teachings of the higher Buddhism.
72.—_Rakkwa éda ni kaerazu._
The fallen blossom never returns to the branch.[60]
[60] That which has been done never can be undone: the past cannot be
recalled.—This proverb is an abbreviation of the longer Buddhist text:
_Rakkwa éda ni kaerazu; ha-kyō futatabi terasazu:_ “The fallen blossom
never returns to the branch; the shattered mirror never again
reflects.”
73.—_Raku wa ku no tané; ku wa raku no tané._
Pleasure is the seed of pain; pain is the seed of pleasure.
74.—_Rokudō wa, mé no maë._
The Six Roads are right before your eyes.[61]
[61] That is to say, Your future life depends upon your conduct in
this life; and you are thus free to choose for yourself the place of
your next birth.
75.—_Sangai mu-an._
There is no rest within the Three States of Existence.
76.—_Sangai ni kaki nashi;—Rokudō ni hotori nashi._
There is no fence to the Three States of Existence;—there is no
neighborhood to the Six Roads.[62]
[62] Within the Three States (Sangai), or universes, of Desire, Form,
and Formlessness; and within the Six Worlds, or conditions of
being,—_Jigokudō_ (Hell), _Gakidō_ (Pretas), _Chikushōdō_ (Animal
Life), _Shuradō_ (World of Fighting and Slaughter), _Ningendō_
(Mankind), _Tenjōdō_ (Heavenly Spirits)—all existence is included.
Beyond there is only Nirvâna. “There is no fence,” “no
neighborhood,”—that is to say, no limit beyond which to escape,—no
middle-path between any two of these states. We shall be reborn into
some one of them according to our karma.—Compare with No. 74.
77.—_Sangé ni wa sannen no tsumi mo hōrobu._
One confession effaces the sins of even three years.
78.—_San nin yoréba, kugai._
Where even three persons come together, there is a world of pain.[63]
[63] _Kugai_ (lit.: “bitter world”) is a term often used to describe
the life of a prostitute.
79.—_San nin yoréba, Monjū no chié._
Where three persons come together, there is the wisdom of _Monjū_.[64]
[64] Monjū Bosatsu [_Mañdjus’ri Bodhisattva_] figures in Japanese
Buddhism as a special divinity of wisdom.—The proverb signifies that
three heads are better than one. A saying of like meaning is,_ Hiza to
mo dankō:_ “Consult even with your own knee;” that is to say, Despise
no advice, no matter how humble the source of it.
80.—_Shaka ni sekkyō._
Preaching to Sâkyamuni.
81.—_Shami kara chōrō._
To become an abbot one must begin as a novice.
82.—_Shindaréba, koso ikitaré._
Only by reason of having died does one enter into life.[65]
[65] I never hear this singular proverb without being re-minded of a
sentence in Huxley’s famous essay, _On the Physical Basis of
Life:_—“The living protoplasm not only ultimately dies and is resolved
into its mineral and lifeless constituents, but is always dying, and,
strange as the paradox may sound, _could not live unless it died_.”
83.—_Shiranu ga, hotoké; minu ga, Gokuraku._
Not to know is to be a Buddha; not to see is Paradise.
84.—_Shōbo ni kidoku nashi._
There is no miracle in true doctrine.[66]
[66] Nothing can happen except as a result of eternal and irrevocable
law.
85.—_Shō-chié wa Bodai no samatagé._
A little wisdom is a stumbling-block on the way to Buddhahood.[67]
[67] _Bodai_ is the same word as the Sanscrit _Bodhi_, signifying the
supreme enlightenment,—the knowledge that leads to Buddhahood; but it
is often used by Japanese Buddhists in the sense of divine bliss, or
the Buddha-state itself.
86.—_Shōshi no kukai hetori nashi._
There is no shore to the bitter Sea of Birth and Death.[68]
[68] Or, “the Pain-Sea of Life and Death.”
87.—_Sodé no furi-awasé mo tashō no en._
Even the touching of sleeves in passing is caused by some relation in a
former life.
88.—_Sun zen; shaku ma._
An inch of virtue; a foot of demon.[69]
[69] _Ma_ (Sanscrit, _Mârakâyikas_) is the name given to a particular
class of spirits who tempt men to evil. But in Japanese folklore the
_Ma_ have a part much resembling that occupied in Western popular
superstition by goblins and fairies.
89.—_Tanoshimi wa hanasimi no motoi._
All joy is the source of sorrow.
90.—_Tondé hi ni iru natsu no mushi._
So the insects of summer fly to the flame.[70]
[70] Said especially in reference to the result of sensual indulgence.
91.—_Tsuchi-botoké no midzu-asobi._
Clay-Buddha’s water-playing.[71]
[71] That is to say, “As dangerous as for a clay Buddha to play with
water.” Children often amuse themselves by making little Buddhist
images of mud, which melt into shapelessness, of course, if placed in
water.
92.—_Tsuki ni murakumo, hana ni kazé._
Cloud-wrack to the moon; wind to flowers.[72]
[72] The beauty of the moon is obscured by masses of clouds; the trees
no sooner blossom than their flowers are scattered by the wind. All
beauty is evanescent.
93.—_Tsuyu no inochi._
Human life is like the dew of morning.
94.—_U-ki wa, kokoro ni ari._
Joy and sorrow exist only in the mind.
95.—_Uri no tsuru ni nasubi wa naranu._
Egg-plants do not grow upon melon-vines.
96.—_Uso mo hōben._
Even an untruth may serve as a device.[73]
[73] That is, a pious device for effecting conversion. Such a device
is justified especially by the famous parable of the third chapter of
the _Saddharma Pundarîka_.
97.—_Waga ya no hotoké tattoshi._
My family ancestors were all excellent Buddhas.[74]
[74] Meaning that one most reveres the _hotoké_—the spirits of the
dead regarded as Buddhas—in one’s own household-shrine. There is an
ironical play upon the word _hotoké_, which may mean either a dead
person simply, or a Buddha. Perhaps the spirit of this proverb may be
better explained by the help of another: _Nigéta sakana ni chisai wa
nai; shinda kodomo ni warui ko wa nai_—“Fish that escaped was never
small; child that died was never bad.”
98.—_Yuki no haté wa, Nehan._
The end of snow is Nirvâna.[75]
[75] This curious saying is the only one in my collection containing
the word _Nehan_ (Nirvâna), and is here inserted chiefly for that
reason. The common people seldom speak of _Nehan_, and have little
knowledge of those profound doctrines to which the term is related.
The above phrase, as might be inferred, is not a popular expression:
it is rather an artistic and poetical reference to the aspect of a
landscape covered with snow to the horizon-line,—so that beyond the
snow-circle there is only the great void of the sky.
99.—_Zen ni wa zen no mukui; aku ni wa aku no mukui._
Goodness [or, virtue] is the return for goodness; evil is the return
for evil.[76]
[76] Not so commonplace a proverb as might appear at first sight; for
it refers especially to the Buddhist belief that every kindness shown
to us in this life is a return of kindness done to others in a former
life, and that every wrong inflicted upon us is the reflex of some
injustice which we committed in a previous birth.
100.—_Zensé no yakusoku-goto._
Promised [or, destined] from a former birth.[77]
[77] A very common saying,—often uttered as a comment upon the
unhappiness of separation, upon sudden misfortune, upon sudden death,
etc. It is used especially in relation to _shinjū_, or lovers’
suicide. Such suicide is popularly thought to be a result of cruelty
in some previous state of being, or the consequence of having broken,
in a former life, the mutual promise to become husband and wife.