Setsuwa and Self Writing: Witnessing Death in Hosshinshū

Abstract

The medieval Japanese ōjōden tales of achieving birth in the Pure Land were stories of exemplary lives and exemplary deaths. Through their telling and hearing, writers and Buddhist practitioners established karmic connections with individuals who had passed to this ‘other shore’; they also aided consideration of what death meant for the individual and of how to die. The article examines some of the writings of Ren'in (formerly the court poet Kamo no Chōmei) in this genre, including his reflections on ritual forms of Buddhist suicide, in particular the implications of failure in such attempts. During his late years, Ren'in is led by what Adriana Cavarero calls a ‘desire for a story’. Since the ultimate proof of successful rebirth in the Pure Land is the hagiographic account of one's last moments, one remains painfully conscious of the fact that the most important part of any life story—the ending—must be told by somebody else. Ren'in discovers that death is not something universal, but indeed a very personal event, which defines the nature of the human being and the true meaning of any life story.