The story we showed you in the first part was a folk tale from the city of Kitsuki, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu. It was the story of a man who transcends time and place in a dream, yet accepts it as reality and has a tumultuous time.
As mentioned in the text, while you are dreaming, you do not wonder at any inconsistencies in the dream. Rarely, you realise that you are in the middle of a dream, but this is because the dream is in a shallow sleep and you are in a half-awake state. In deep sleep dreams, the ‘boundary between dream and reality’ is extremely vague.
The use of ‘dreams’, which seem so mysterious to humans, as the subject matter of stories seems to have been practised since ancient times. INABANA.JP should originally introduce Japanese stories, but today we would like to introduce 「邯鄲の枕」a classic of these ‘dream stories’ from ancient China…
『邯鄲の枕 / Hándān Pillow』
During the Zhao dynasty in China, on the outskirts of the capital city of Handan, two people met at an inn.
One was an old Taoist named Ryo-oh.
The other was Rosei, a young man from the countryside with great ambition and a desire to go to Handan.
They became friends by chance and had a chat.
Eventually, Ryo-oh asks Rosei why he wants to go to Handan.
Rosei：Because the life I lead now, working only in the fields, is boring with no development or prosperity.
Ryo-oh：Why do you think it’s boring when you have no illness and no need for food?
Rosei：If you are born a man, then your true aim is to go out into the world and achieve success and prosperity.
Ryo-oh：‘Now, you may rest for a while until the food is ready at the inn. I will lend you this pillow, so you can lie down and have a good dream’, and he lent her a porcelain pillow.
Rosei slept comfortably on the pillow and when she woke up she left for Handan in good spirits…
Rosei then had the good fortune to marry the daughter of a good family, which led to a wealthy life.
He also became a public servant after passing the examinations for promotion.
Through hard work and the display of his natural talents, he was highly respected and rose to a high position, eventually taking on the role of governor in various regions.
He excelled particularly in the planning and operation of civil engineering works, and was praised by the people of the land he ruled.
He was eventually invited to the centre of government, where he worked closely with the king and became a senior minister involved in national politics.
However, as the saying goes, when the good times are good, there will be those who envy the prosperity and plot against it.
After being conspired against and slandered behind his back, he was finally disgraced, lost most of his glory and was transferred to a low-ranking official in a remote area.
But perhaps the gods did not forsake him, for three years later it came to light that he had been falsely accused.
He was recalled to the government office and restored to power.
He was appointed Prime Minister and served the country for more than ten years, accomplishing various reforms.
As an outstanding vizier, he became a man relied on by both the emperor and the people.
But at the height of his glory, he was once again the target of a plot.
He was falsely accused of ‘conspiring with an old acquaintance of the general to plot against him’ and was imprisoned.
Police officers rush to his mansion to arrest Rosei.
Rosei told his wife.
‘I have a large field back home, and if I had lived as a farmer, I would have lived a life without a care in the world. Why did I go to all that trouble to become a politician? Now I miss my old life.’
He then picked up his sword and tried to take his own life.
But he was stopped, saying that this would be an admission of unjustifiable guilt, and he survived.
Rosei was exiled to the frontier without being convicted of death, as he had long promoted a good policy and had many supporters.
And once again, a ray of hope shone on Rosei.
A casual incident exposed the wrongdoings of those who had wronged Rosei, and Rosei’s innocence was revealed.
The emperor apologised to Rosei and gave him a higher rank and greater importance than before.
Rosei had twice hit rock bottom in life and twice returned to the Prime Minister’s office. He experienced unparalleled hardship and despair, and overcame them to reach heights in life that are the envy of all.
His five sons have grown up well, each with grandchildren and a secure family lineage. He no longer has any worries in his life.
Rosei worked diligently to meet the wishes of the king and the people, but as time went on and old age crept in, he took a leave of absence and soon found himself in a sickbed.
Rosei sent a letter to the emperor thanking him for all he had received.
「I was originally a simple peasant from a rural village. I was fortunate enough to be able to play a part in politics through the kindness of His Majesty and his unselfishness. However, we have not been able to do enough to repay the kindness His Majesty has bestowed on us, and that is the only regret we have at the moment. Although I no longer have much time left to live, I would like to apologise and express my sincere gratitude for the kindnesses I have received over the years.」
To this letter by Rosei, the emperor also sent a reply.
「It is due to your work that this country has been peaceful and prosperous for decades. I thank you for not giving up and for your commitment to national politics, despite the many hardships you have endured. I am truly concerned to hear that you have fallen ill. I will send a general to visit you. I will also send you all the best doctors and the best medicines. Please, for my sake, do not give up until the end, concentrate on your treatment and try to show your face again.」
However, despite the emperor’s concern, he fell into a critical condition that night..
Rosei looks back on her life, cared for by the emperor and watched over by her family, and is filled with deep emotion. I suddenly heard a voice from beyond my fading consciousness…
「Your meal is ready…」
I found myself in the inn where I had been talking to Ryo-oh, the Taoist. In the half an hour or so that I had slept on the porcelain pillow that I had borrowed from Ryo-oh, I had had a dream that lasted more than 50 years…
Ryo-oh is smiling quietly by my side.
～The rise and fall of life, the equivalent of a passing dream…～
Rosei, having realised this, thanked Ryo-oh profusely and returned to his hometown to lead a rigid and simple life…
ーーーーー
The end of many dream stories is a clear reminder of the importance of ‘reality’ and ‘ordinary life’, but it is not just a reminder to be grateful for ordinary days.
The big dreams and ambitions we have when we are young are wonderful and glorious.
But it is not only on the big stage that the answers lie, and often the most important things in life are closer to home than you might think.
To appreciate the happiness of everyday life, which we tend to forget or overlook, we need to have ‘eyes’ to recognise it.
It is often said that it is only when we fall into unbearable sadness or hardship that we realise how much we appreciate the ‘ordinary’ things in life, but in the midst of suffering we are truly thrown into a nightmare world, and it is only when we are on the other side that we finally open our ‘eyes’ to see the true meaning of life.
In other words, in order to avoid this, it is more important than anything else to maintain a daily ‘awareness’.
【The most important thing is that which is not seen by the naked eye】, bequeathed by writer Yoko Sano.
【We are made of the same stuff as dreams】, said Shakespeare.
In the daily flood of ‘dreams’ called ‘reality’, we should live our lives with our ‘mind’s eye’ firmly fixed…