"The Narrow Road to the Deep North" is a Reverse View of Impermanence: On a Middle Schooler's Realization and the Power of Words

During class,
thanks to a student's comment,
an unexpected discovery was made,
and there are times when the entire classroom is filled with joy.

Among these, one I cannot forget is
during a lesson on Matsuo Basho's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North,"
when a student said

"It's a reverse view of impermanence!!"

when they made that remark.

I was so moved by that perspective
that I would like to explain it a little.

In the first place,
when dealing with classical literature
in middle school Japanese class,
the term "view of impermanence"
appears as a standard keyword.

"The Tale of the Heike," "Essays in Idleness," "An Account of My Hut"...
even "The Tale of Genji" is about a view of impermanence.

What runs through them all
is the image that
"things that flourish will eventually perish."

Even Hikaru Genji, who lived as a playboy surrounded by women
and reached the height of prosperity,
disappears in his later years
in loneliness and solitude.

Of course, the theme of Basho's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North"
is also a "view of impermanence."

People will eventually pass away.
Life is a journey,
and the journey is a symbol of impermanence,
or so I had assumed.

However!

A middle school student said
that Basho's spirit is a "reverse view of impermanence."

For example,

Even this grass hut, will be replaced by a house of dolls

is a haiku at the beginning.

This was a poem Basho composed
when he decided to sell his house in Edo
(showing how determined he was for this journey)
to set out on a trip to the Tohoku region,

My house will eventually be torn down and disappear.
But after that,
a magnificent house where one might display doll festival figures
might be built.
A lively and cheerful family
with a little girl
might come to live there.

That is the content.

When I explained this poem,
the student realized, "It's a reverse view of impermanence!"

A student said,

I might disappear.
Perhaps all things are constantly changing.

But even if I disappear,
the next generation
will surely bring forth something bright and magnificent.

There is such a positive feeling in this haiku,

they said.

What sensitivity!
What a level of understanding!!

Indeed, this haiku likely contains
expectations and hopes for the journey through Tohoku
that lies ahead.

I had assumed that the view of impermanence meant that

all things eventually perish

was what it meant.

However, Basho's reverse view of impermanence is that

after things perish, they are eventually reborn

is what it is.

When I understood that,
I felt I grasped even more of Basho's charm.

And I was moved by how changing the definition of a word can significantly transform one's own senses,
and I was struck once again by how amazing "words" are.

When teaching classical literature,
I am reminded that this is the pioneer of information content.

Even in mere words
(I use the word "mere" intentionally)
the creator's "soul" resides, and it transcends time and space to stir the hearts of readers.

It is amazing, when you think about it, that for over 300 years after his death, people have never stopped wanting to go on a journey themselves after reading Basho's writing.
(I, too, have been to Yamadera, Hiraizumi, and Kisakata.)

His kotodama (spirit of words)
still possesses enough influence to drive readers to action
even today.

While AI, including ChatGPT, is on the rise these days,
that is merely a "trend."
It is nothing more than something that belongs to the "impermanent."

What we should focus on is 'fueki' (the unchanging).

One of the essential human qualities that will never be lost is
the ability to imbue all things, starting with language, with intense emotion.

And the ability to perceive the human emotions that reside within all things.

These two points are what make humans human.

The keyword is 'feeling,' isn't it?

Like Hikaru Genji or Matsuo Basho,I want to cry often, laugh often,and savor life to the fullest.

Thank you for reading until the end.

I hope this was of some help to you who read it.