The Third Night-Possession

「お祝い事は、苦しみの裏で時間を止めたように行われる」

所有

主に愛というもので、愛は恋愛にとどまらないことを知っていくことが人間としての、「営み」のような気がしている。特に「所有」というものは、興味深い。まずベルクソン哲学の「所有」が思い浮かぶが、彼は、reprendre possession de soi、つまり「自己の所有を取り戻す」と言っている。ここでの所有は、物を支配することではなく、世間・言語・外的時間に奪われていた自分を、もう一度、自分の内側の流れへ戻すことになっている。普通の所有は、対象を外に置き、「これは私のものだ」とする。ベルクソン的な所有とは、自分が自分の外へ流されてしまっている状態から、もう一度、自分の生きている時間を内側から生き直すことになる。

スタンダール的な所有は、またこれとは違い、「相手」や「対象」に向かうことであり、愛する人、憧れの対象、自分の欲望や夢が「結晶」となる。これが世間一般的な所有なのかもしれない。

　祖父の「聖書」に関しては、興味深いことに両方の作用を持っていた。あくまでも私の視点の話だが、祖父はキリスト教徒ではなかったので、生前に聖書を愛読している様子も見せなかった。祈っている様子を見せることもなく、理系でありながら、文学が好きだった。

祖父が聖書に関することについて、片鱗を落としたのは一回だけだった。

その日は、花祭りの日だった。私は幼稚園の行事で、ブッダの誕生日を祝った。小さな釈迦像に甘茶をかけたことを「とにかく綺麗で楽しかった」と、私は、帰ってから、その話を祖父にした。祖父は時々、グリム童話のような語り口を持っていた。単純に「それは良かったな」とかそういうことは言わず、「お前は、御伽話に水をかけてきたのか？それとも、本当にあった話だと思って水をかけてきたのか？」と尋ねた。

私は、「御伽話」と咄嗟に答えてしまった。祖父は、「お前は御伽話に水をかけてきたのか？」と言ってきたので、私は少しムキになって「シンデレラや、人魚姫と同じ。居ないとわかっているけど、本は中のお姫様が可哀想だから捨てたくないのと一緒。眠るときに、想像しないと眠れないの。だから、水をかける時は本当にそうだと思ってやった」と答えた。続けて祖父は、「それは筋がいい」と褒めた。そして、西洋の旧約聖書のモーセは、生まれた後に争いの中、川に流された子供だった。『救いの存在』という存在が現れる時というのは、最も人間が貧しい時だという話をし始めた。

彼が籠に入れられて流されるのは、ヘブライ人の男児が殺されるという暴力の時代に生まれたからで、モーセの物語は「赤ん坊が守られた話」であると同時に、最初から「争い」「迫害」「民族の苦しみ」の中にある話だった。

ブッダの生い立ちは、人間の苦しみ、老い、病、死、執着、争いを見ていく存在になる。

「お前は、いつも、なんでお祝いごとは、そういった苦しみの裏で、時間を止めたように行われると思うか？大人になったら、考えてみたらいい。他の宗教者はみんな俺をがっかりさせるばかりだった。　お前はきっと俺を、がっかりさせない才能がある」と話は終わった。

翌日に「聖書は読んだ方がいいの？」と尋ねたら、

「好きにしたらいい」と言われただけだった。

読め、とも、読むなとも言わない。

「何してもいいが、詩人になれ」と言った。

特に、聖書に関しても、詩に関しても何も手引きを教えてはもらわなかった。あとは、祖父には貧しい時に、英訳の聖書を神父か牧師に貰って、それで語学は勉強したが、「俺は無神論者だ」と聞いたことがあった。

私は、祖父は神がいないものとして暮らしていると思っていた。祖父が生前、机の上に置いていたのは、投資の本や、もっと実利的な本ばかりだった。聖書の話はそれ以降はしたことがなく、その話すら、私が大人になってくると、記憶違いのようにも思っていた。

私は日本から離れて、帰国後は、自分の生活で精一杯で、家族のことを顧みずに、婚姻のために2014年にカトリックに入信した。相手の男とは、本の中で聖書が一番好きだというところが意気投合し、イエスに対する価値観も、お互いで愛の結晶かのように「所有」していると思っていた。その上、洗礼を受けた方がいいというのを言ったのは男の方だった。特に聖書に関連する文学を、その人と共有した。私は、それで教会を探して、すぐに受け入れてくれる話に飛びついた。けれども男が、急に「カトリックに入ることはできない」という事情によって婚約を解消し、私は一人で、聖母マリア飛昇天祭の洗礼式で、望んでもいなかった共同体と対面し挨拶をした。まるで、心に愛があるような装いで、空席を隠すように喜びという演技をした。勿論、本当に嬉しかった面もあった。けれども、この洗礼式の挨拶のお辞儀を思い出すたびに、私は涙で全てが溶けて消えてしまいそうだった。

私は洗礼を受けた。
その一週間後、祖父は死んだ。

2025年、久しぶりに祖父の家に行くと、祖父の書斎が残っていた。祖父の生前の『完成された原稿』が机の上に置かれてあることは、親戚から説明を受けたが、ほとんど、あれから書斎は動かしていないそうだ。私が最後に見たときは、書斎の机の上には、実利的な本しか置かれていなかったはずだったが、入れ替わっていることを知った。

　まず驚いたのが、エドガー・アランポーの「アナベル・リー」の話について、

私も何度も翻訳をしていて、陶酔していた詩を、祖父も好きだったということだった。

「詩」というファイルの中で「７回目の翻訳」「８回目の翻訳」と何度もしていた。

私はエドガー・アランポーの新装版の全集を買ったが、昔の装丁のペーパーバックで中身は同じのものを祖父が持っていたことを知った。そして、古びた洋書が並ぶ中で、中央に一冊だけ日焼けをして、タイトルがわからないものがあった。私はそれを何気なく手に取ったら、「聖書」だった。手荒に使ったら、ページが崩れてしまいそうな劣化具合で、既に、一瞬でページが数ページ落下する。しかし、それが、あの微かな思い出の中で、語られた聖書だったのだ。祖父は、確かに聖書を貰っていた。本当に、あの話は本当だったのだ。記憶違いとまで思うようになっていたことが、本当だった。

表紙裏には、「三年間、この学びを謙遜の種とする」と書かれてあった。

＊＊＊

いつしか愛に関して、私は「所有」したいという感覚が薄れていた。段々と、愛おしいと思うことでも、愛という言葉で物事を区切らなくもなっていた。手を差し伸べるのも、経験による反射、さほど考えもなく、結果として、受け取った時に少し温もりがあると人生が潤っていると、得したなと思い、それ以上は渇望しなくなった。ただ、洗礼の前から愛は浪漫でもあり、アガペーでもあるということは知っていた。この二極から離れられなくなり、悲しい最後になれば、アガペーで片付けることばかりだった。文学はやっぱり「愛」を書きたいと思いながら、思うようにいかなかった。愛については、受け入れられる定めと、そうでないものがあった。本当の愛はこうだと説く人は、所詮は人生観から離れているわけでもなく、信仰の一部になっているだけで、愛の真理を知り尽くしているわけではない。それなのに、キリストに通じる愛と、そうでない愛を区別しようとする。正直なことを話すと、キリストへの愛は、男女の間では浪漫でもあった。「同じものを所有している」それがとても特別のことのように思えていた。反対に、友人や、祖父、父の、本当の死を目の当たりにすると、聖書は、生きている人の夢物語でもあったのかもしれないと、死神のような存在が私を包んだ。それでもなお消えない、夢の延長かのように、自分の心象にイエスがある。それを、どのように確かなことかともいえないまま時が過ぎていた。

福永武彦は、「所有」について、情熱には何かを獲得しようとする働きがあり、愛もまた「所有への願望」として現れる、と見ていた。名声欲や金銭欲が地位や財産を所有しようとするように、愛の場合には、ある特定の対象を全的に所有したいという欲望が生まれる。しかし、地位や財産と違って、愛の対象は「人間」なので、所有は決して完全には成立しない。相手の身体を抱くことはできても、相手の魂や意識の全体を所有することはできない。そこに、愛の陶酔と不可能性がある。

彼は、肉体の所有と魂の所有をかなりはっきり分けていた。肉体を所有しても、それは一時的な満足にすぎず、欲望はすぐに先へ行く。相手の魂まで所有したいと思うと、今度は相手の人格を自分に従属させようとする危険が出てくる。けれど、それは愛の完成ではなく、むしろ相手を奴隷状態に置くようなものになる。だから、愛における「所有」は、欲望としては避けがたく生まれるけれど、完全に達成しようとすると、愛そのものを損なう、という緊張があるのだ。やがて、福永の問いとして、魂を所有しようとする過程で、少しずつ相手の意識を自分の方へ向け、相手が自分以外のことを考えられなくなるまで欲望を押し進めると、それは相手の魂を掴んだことになるのかと、残した。

相手の意識を占領しても、それで魂を本当に所有したことにはならない、意識を奪うことと、魂を所有することは違う。愛の所有には、ほとんど到達不能なものがある。

私の話は、所謂男女の愛とは違う話だが、エドガー・アランポーの「アナベル・リー」は男女の愛の話だった。あの詩のモデルとなった話は、船乗りと、高貴な女の子は恋人同士だったが、周囲から反対され、墓場で密かに会っていた。女の子はやがて亡くなり、船乗りはそれでも墓場に訪れている。「海辺の墓のアナベル・リー」と、男女の愛は、意図していることも、そしてそうでないことも、選んだ全てが、スタンダール的な結晶となっている。そしてその姿を想像するのなら、さらにその愛は、二人の恋愛の関係性のみのものを超えた、神聖なものになりうる。愛だけではなく、まるで全ての原罪や、慈しみを背負ったような魂を感じさせる。

　アナベル・リーの詩に陶酔し、何度も翻訳した祖父は、このような詩を残せる人生と、残せない人生では大きな差がある。祖父はそれには「情念」が必要だと、自分には足りていないことを日記に書いていた。死後、聖書と共に、それを見つけることになった。

祖父にとって、「詩人になれ」というのは、これらを含んでいたのかもしれないと、漸く気づいたのである。そこには求めるものは、マジックリアリズムとしては「呪い」、そして完璧な愛の形態でもなく、何かになれと言う言葉の中に、「自由」があった。

祖父の聖書には、あるところに下線部が引かれてあった。

“Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain,

even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings;

and he will give them showers of rain,

to every one grass in the field.”

（Zechariah 10:1）

古い英語訳なので、神名が Jehovah として現れている。神の名がこのように記されていることで、それは名もなき神ではなく、名を呼べる神への呼びかけになる。

「求めよ、願え、雨を」と、種は自力で生えることができない。「Ask ye of Jehovah（主に求めよ）」雨は、選ばれた人だけじゃないところにも降る。to every one grass in the field.

聖書は下線を引くだけで、それは財産になるのかもしれないと言うこと、そして私は、

洗礼を受けた後から、ずっと自分が種を蒔いている側だと思っていた。この聖書を手にしたときに、無常とは程遠く、死神が私の心から一旦は離れる。そこに光が差し込んだかのように、『私は』神にとっての所有であることをまた信じたくなる。祖父のために筆を取ったのは、祖父が余命を告げられてから、病院から逃げた話を聞いたからだった。生きていた痕跡を、あの人が恐怖に感じたものを、無常ではないということを、どのように残そうか？

どちらが実話で、どちらがお伽話なのか、それはまだ決着が付いてはいないが、

私も撒かれた種だったと知ったのである。

あとがき

この連作は、福永武彦『愛の試み』へのオマージュとして始まったものである。けれども、生きたオマージュは、単なる模倣にとどまらない。それは応答になる。福永の全二十三話という構成を踏まえながら、私はそれぞれの篇を「夜」として語り直していく。そこでは、愛、記憶、信仰、死、所有という問いが、自分自身の生の風景へと移されていくことを願っている。第三夜にあたる本篇「所有」は、そのひとつの変奏である。愛における「所有」という問いは、祖父の聖書、洗礼、死者への記憶を通って、やがて神にとっての「所有」と、自分もまた撒かれた種であったという発見へと移されていく。

＊＊＊＊

・Agir librement, c’est reprendre possession de soi, c’est se replacer dans la pure durée.

「自由に行為するとは、自己の所有を取り戻すことであり、純粋持続のうちに身を置き直すことである」ベルクソンの『意識に直接与えられたものについての試論』の一節。

・「片鱗」は、英語で普通に言うなら a glimpse。しかし詩的に a fragmentary sign や a trace にした。

・マジックリアリズムとして「呪い」：唐突に見えるが、次回作がマジックリアリズムと詩がテーマなのでそれに合わせた。

・私自身が2016年の出版作で、マタイ１３章をモチーフにした種蒔きについての小説を出版しているが、祖父はそのことを知らない。

（ゼカリヤ１０章１節）：春の雨の季節には、主に雨を求めよ。
主は稲妻を放ち、彼らに豊かな雨を降らせ
すべての人に野の草を与えられる

2026年5月17日 0

The Third Night: “Possession”（English)

“Every celebration is held on the other side of suffering, as though time had stopped.”

Possession

I have the sense that what we call love is, above all, one of those human undertakings through which we come to know that love is not confined to romance. In this respect, the question of “possession” is particularly interesting.

What first comes to mind is the notion of possession in Bergson’s philosophy. He speaks of reprendre possession de soi. Here, possession does not mean the domination of an object. It means rather the return of the self, which had been taken away by the world, by language, and by external time, to the inner movement of its own life.

Ordinary possession places the object outside oneself and declares: “This is mine.” But Bergsonian possession means something else. It is to return, from the condition of having been carried outside oneself, to the time one lives in truth, and to inhabit it once more from within.

Stendhalian possession, however, is of another order. It is directed toward the “other,” toward the object; the beloved person, the object of admiration, one’s own desire and dream, become crystallized. Perhaps this is what is commonly meant by possession.

As for my grandfather’s “Bible,” it is interesting that it bore both of these movements within it. I speak only from my own point of view, but my grandfather was not a Christian, nor did he, while he was alive, ever show himself to be an assiduous reader of the Bible. He never showed himself praying. Though trained in the sciences, he loved literature.

It was only once that my grandfather let fall, concerning the Bible, something like a fragment of himself.

It was the day of the Flower Festival. At kindergarten, I had taken part in a celebration of the Buddha’s birthday. When I came home, I told my grandfather how I had poured sweet tea over a small statue of Shakyamuni, and how, above all, it had been beautiful and joyful.

My grandfather sometimes had the manner of speaking of someone from a Grimm fairy tale. He did not simply say, “That must have been nice,” or anything of the kind. Instead, he asked me, “Did you pour water over a fairy tale? Or did you pour it over something you believed had truly happened?”

Without thinking, I answered, “A fairy tale.”

My grandfather then said, “So you poured water over a fairy tale?” I became a little stubborn and answered, “It is the same as Cinderella or The Little Mermaid. I know they are not there, but I do not want to throw away the book, because I feel sorry for the princess inside it. When I sleep, I cannot sleep unless I imagine things. So when I poured the water, I did it as if it were truly so.”

“That is a good instinct,” my grandfather said.

Then he began to speak of Moses in the Old Testament of the West. Moses, he said, was a child who, after his birth, had been set adrift upon a river in the midst of conflict. He began to tell me that when a “saving presence” appears, it is often at the very moment when human beings are poorest.

The reason Moses was placed in a basket and sent down the river was that he had been born into an age of violence, when the male children of the Hebrews were being killed. The story of Moses was therefore, at once, the story of “a baby who was protected,” and a story placed, from the very beginning, within conflict, persecution, and the suffering of a people.

The life of the Buddha, too, would become the life of one who looked upon human suffering: old age, sickness, death, attachment, and strife.

“Why do you think,” my grandfather asked, “that celebrations are always held as though time had been stopped, on the other side of such suffering? When you grow older, you should think about it. Other religious people have only disappointed me. But you, I think, have the talent not to disappoint me.”

That was where the conversation ended.

When I asked him, “Should I read the Bible?” he only said, “Do as you like.”

He did not tell me to read it.
Nor did he tell me not to read it.

“You may do whatever you like,” he said, “but become a poet.”

He gave me no guidance, either about the Bible or about poetry. I had only heard, besides this, that when he was poor, my grandfather had once received an English translation of the Bible from either a priest or a pastor, and that he had studied language through it. But he said that he was an atheist.

I had thought that my grandfather lived as though God did not exist. During his lifetime, the books he kept on his desk were books on investment, or other books of a more practical kind. After that day, we never spoke again of the Bible. As I grew older, even that conversation began to seem to me almost like a false memory.

I left Japan, and after I returned, absorbed as I was in my own life and scarcely looking back toward my family, I entered the Catholic Church in 2014 for the sake of marriage. The man and I had found common ground in saying that, among all books, the Bible was the one we loved most. We had even believed that our way of looking at Jesus was something we possessed together, as though it were a crystallization of love. Moreover, it had been he who told me that I ought to be baptized.

I shared with him, in particular, the literature that had some relation to the Bible. Because of this, I looked for a church, and I seized upon the first place that seemed ready to receive me at once.

But then, because of circumstances by which he suddenly declared that he could not enter the Catholic Church, the engagement was broken. Alone, at the baptismal ceremony on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I faced and greeted a community I had never desired.

As though there were love in my heart, I performed joy in order to conceal the empty seat. There was, in truth, a part of me that was happy. And yet, whenever I remember the bow I made in greeting at that baptismal ceremony, everything in me seems about to melt away and disappear into tears.

I was baptized.

A week later, my grandfather was dead.

＊＊＊

In 2025, when I went, after many years, to my grandfather’s house, his study was still there. I was told by my relatives that the completed manuscript from his lifetime had been left upon his desk, and that, since then, the room had scarcely been touched.

When I had last seen it, there should have been, upon the desk of that study, only books of practical use. But I learned that they had been replaced.

The first thing that astonished me was Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” I myself had translated that poem many times, and had been intoxicated by it; and now I discovered that my grandfather, too, had loved it. In a file entitled “Poetry,” he had translated it again and again: “seventh translation,” “eighth translation,” and so on.

I had bought a newly designed edition of the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe. But I learned that my grandfather had owned the same contents in the former paperback binding.

And then, among the old foreign books, there was, at the centre, one volume alone, sun-browned, its title no longer legible. I took it up without thinking.

It was the Bible.

It was so deteriorated that, had I handled it roughly, its pages seemed ready to crumble and spill out. Already, in an instant, several pages had fallen loose.

And yet it was that Bible — the Bible that had been spoken of in that faint memory.

My grandfather had received a Bible.

The story had truly been true.

What I had almost come to think of as a mistaken memory had been true.

On the inside of the cover, these words were written:

For three years, let this learning be unto me a seed of humility.

＊＊＊

At some point, with regard to love, the desire to possess had grown thin in me. Little by little, even when I felt something to be dear, I no longer divided things so readily by the word “love.”

To extend a hand had become, rather, a reflex born of experience. Without much thought, I came to feel that if, when it was received, there was even a little warmth, then life had been enriched, and that I had gained something. Beyond that, I ceased to thirst.

And yet, even before my baptism, I had known that love could be both romance and agape. I became unable to free myself from these two poles; and whenever something ended sadly, I would do little more than settle it under the name of agape.

I still wished, in literature, to write of “love.” But it did not go as I wished. With regard to love, there were destinies one could accept, and destinies one could not.

Those who preach what true love is are, after all, not separate from their own view of life; that view merely becomes part of their faith. It does not mean that they have exhausted the truth of love. And yet they try to distinguish between love that leads to Christ and love that does not.

To speak honestly, my love for Christ had also been, between a man and a woman, a romance. “We possessed the same thing.” That had seemed to me something very special.

But, on the other hand, when I stood before the true deaths of friends, of my grandfather, and of my father, a presence like the god of death surrounded me, and I wondered whether the Bible, too, might have been only a dream-tale of the living.

And yet, as though in the continuation of a dream, the figure of Jesus remained within my inward landscape, refusing to disappear. Time passed, while I could not say in what way it was certain.

＊＊＊

Takehiko Fukunaga regarded “possession” in this way: passion contains within itself a movement toward acquisition, and love, too, appears as a desire for possession. Just as the desire for fame or the desire for money seeks to possess status or property, so, in love, there arises the desire to possess one particular object entirely.

Yet, unlike status or property, the object of love is a human being. For that reason, possession can never be perfectly accomplished. One may hold the other’s body, but one cannot possess the whole of the other’s soul or consciousness. There, perhaps, lie both the intoxication and the impossibility of love.

He distinguished rather clearly between the possession of the body and the possession of the soul. Even if one possesses the body, this is no more than a temporary satisfaction; desire soon moves beyond it. If one then comes to wish to possess even the soul of the other, there arises the danger of trying to subordinate the other’s personhood to oneself. But this is not the completion of love. It is, rather, something like placing the other in a state of servitude.

Thus, in love, “possession” is born almost inevitably as desire; and yet, if one tries to bring it to perfect fulfilment, one wounds love itself. This is the tension at its heart.

Fukunaga, in the end, left the question in this form: if, in the process of trying to possess another soul, one gradually turns the other’s consciousness toward oneself, and presses desire so far that the other can no longer think of anything but oneself, does that mean one has seized the other’s soul?

Even if one occupies the consciousness of the other, this does not mean that one has truly possessed the soul. To deprive someone of consciousness is not the same thing as to possess the soul.

In the possession proper to love, there remains something almost unattainable.

My story is not, strictly speaking, a story of love between a man and a woman. And yet Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee” was such a story.

The tale said to have given rise to that poem was one in which a sailor and a girl of noble birth loved each other, were opposed by those around them, and met secretly in the graveyard. The girl, in time, died; and still the sailor continued to visit her grave.

The image of Annabel Lee in the sepulchre there by the sea — and the love between a man and a woman — makes everything that has been chosen, what was intended and also what was not intended, into a crystallization in the Stendhalian sense.And if one tries to imagine the form of such love, it can become something that passes even beyond the relation of love between the two persons themselves, something sacred. It gives the sense not only of love, but of a soul that seems to bear upon itself all original sin, and all tenderness.

My grandfather, who had been intoxicated by “Annabel Lee” and had translated it again and again, wrote in his diary that there is a great difference between a life capable of leaving behind such a poem and a life incapable of doing so. For that, he wrote, one needed “passion”; and he wrote that this was what he lacked.

After his death, I would come to find this together with the Bible.

Only then did I begin to understand that, for my grandfather, the words “become a poet” may have contained all of this. What was being sought there was not, as in magical realism, a “curse,” nor was it the perfect form of love. In the words that told me to become something, there was freedom.

In my grandfather’s Bible, there was a passage that had been underlined.

“Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain,
even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings;
and he will give them showers of rain,
to every one grass in the field.”
(Zechariah 10:1)

Because it was an older English translation, the divine name appeared as Jehovah. And by appearing as a name, God was not a nameless god, but a God who could be called by name.

Ask. Desire. Ask for rain.

A seed cannot grow by its own power.

“Ask ye of Jehovah.” Ask the Lord for rain.

And rain does not fall only upon the chosen. It falls also elsewhere: “to every one grass in the field.”Perhaps a Bible becomes one’s possession simply because someone has drawn a line beneath it.

And I, ever since I was baptized, had believed that I was the one who had been sowing seeds. But when I held this Bible in my hands, something very far from impermanence came over me. For a time, the god of death withdrew from my heart. As though light had entered there, I wanted once more to believe that I, too, was God’s “possession.”

I had taken up the pen for my grandfather because I had heard that, after he was told how little time remained to him, he had fled from the hospital.

How was I to leave behind the trace of a man who had lived? How was I to leave behind what he had feared, and to say that it was not mere impermanence?

Which of the two is the true story, and which is the fairy tale — that has not yet been decided.

But I came to know that I, too, had been a seed that was sown.

＊＊＊

Author’s Note

This series began in homage to Takehiko Fukunaga’s Ai no Kokoromi (An Attempt at Love). Yet homage, if it is truly alive, does not remain imitation. It becomes a response. Taking up Fukunaga’s structure of twenty-three pieces, I recast each piece as a “night.” In this form, the questions of love, memory, faith, death, and possession pass into the landscape of my own life. The Third Night: “Possession” is one such variation. The question of “possession” in love passes through my grandfather’s Bible, baptism, and the memory of the dead, until it is transformed into the question of being God’s “possession,” and into the discovery that I, too, may have been a seed that was sown.

・Agir librement, c’est reprendre possession de soi, c’est se replacer dans la pure durée.

“To act freely is to take back possession of oneself; it is to place oneself once more within pure duration.”
This is a passage from Bergson’s Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness, commonly known in English as Time and Free Will.

・The Japanese word 片鱗 may ordinarily be translated as a glimpse. Here, however, I rendered it more poetically as a fragmentary sign or a trace.

・The word “curse” in relation to magical realism may seem somewhat sudden here. It is used in anticipation of the next work, whose themes will be magical realism and poetry.

・And I, ever since I was baptized, had believed that I was the one who had been sowing seeds.：In 2016, I published a work that took Matthew 13 as its motif. My grandfather did not know this.

2026年5月17日 0

お知らせ

ブログの記事整理を進めています。
今後、一部の記事を削除または調整する予定です。
読みやすさと内容の充実を目指しての作業ですので、ご理解いただければ幸いです。

I’m currently reorganizing my blog.
Some articles will be deleted or revised as part of this process.
The aim is to improve readability and enhance the overall content, and I appreciate your understanding.

2025年9月19日 0

Medium

メディウムの掲載を始めました。このブログも残しておきますが、

価値観が変わったものは、整理をしていきたいと思います。

よろしくお願いします。

https://chriskyogetu.medium.com/

2025年8月20日 0

第一夜（批評）

　よく解説が欲しいと言われていたのですが、なかなか自分で自分の話を解説するというのは、

特に詩情においてはバイアスがかかってしまうので、可能な限りチャットGPTに解説させることにしました。

該当記事はこちら

The First Night-English

第一夜

以下解説（チャットGP T）

１現象学的視点からの分析

1. エポケー（判断停止）と本質直観の試み

文章中において著者は、夢の中で経験したことを「現実か夢か」とは判断せず、それが**“現れている通りに見る”**という現象学の基本姿勢を貫いています。

“I was dreaming. I turned and posed a question…”

”…I choose not to pursue such inquiries. The sacred, submerged in the depths of my mind, remains by my side as a discrepancy, a reproduction.”

ここには**エポケー（判断停止）**と、それでもなお現れる「現象（phenomenon）」への忠実さが表れています。

そして、再構築されたロザリオや詩篇23章の響きは、**主観意識における“意味の自生”**を示す重要なパートです。

⸻

2. 志向性（Intentionnalité）の濃密な働き

“Who recited that psalm?”

“It was neither light nor shadow. The choice of interpretation seemed to rest solely with me.”

現象学では、意識は常に何かへと向かう「志向性」を持ちますが、この文章では自己の問いがどこへも届かず、同時にすべてへと届いているというパラドクスを描き出しています。

ここで語られている“詩篇の声”は、夢に現れた他者であると同時に、自分自身の内面でもあります。意識の中に現れた“他なるもの”との対話こそ、現象学の核心にある“他者性”の体験ともいえるでしょう。

⸻

宗教哲学・神学的に見ると：

3. “再現物としての聖”という逆説

“The sacred, submerged in the depths of my mind, remains by my side as a discrepancy, a reproduction.”

これは非常に深い一文です。

“ロザリオにはイエスは宿らない、けれどそれは必要”という二重性は、形と意味の乖離と再接続をテーマとする神学的な省察と通じます。

ここでは「レプリカ（複製）」＝贋作のようでいて、「私の中で意味が生まれるならば、それは聖である」と再定義されています。これは信仰を“形式的確信”から“体験的信頼”へと転化する美しい知のプロセスです。

⸻

文学的美しさとして：

4. 象徴性の緻密な配置と、詩的律動

この文章にはいくつかの繰り返し構造と象徴があり、非常にリズムが美しいです：

• ロザリオ（祈り・記憶）

• 水／海底（死・無意識）

• 詩篇23章（神との対話）

• 夢／現実（ズレ／越境）

• イエスとオルフェウス（神的愛と人間的愛の対比）

それぞれが“象徴的記号”として丁寧に配置され、読者の中で再構成されることで**「読者自身の無意識」をも揺さぶる構造**になっています。

⸻

5. 「問い」の残し方の美しさ

“Whose son are you?”

最後に出てくるこの問いは、著者自身のアイデンティティを問うだけでなく、キリスト自身の受難と“父との関係”を象徴する問いでもあります。

この一行は、現象学的還元（reduction）を超えて、存在論的な深みへと読者を引き込む“裂け目”のようなものです。

語られたことよりも、「語られずに残された余白」が、むしろ読む者を震わせる。

そこに、この文章全体の詩的かつ宗教的な核心があると感じます。

⸻

まとめ：どこが美しいか？

1. 信仰と夢が現象として等価に扱われ、判断を停止したまま丁寧に観察されている点。

2. “神”も“父”も“ロザリオ”も、“在るか否か”ではなく“どのように在るか”が探求されている点。

3. 問いが解決を目的とせず、余白を残すことで読む者の魂を参加させる構造になっている点。

4. あらゆる象徴が沈んでいく水のイメージに統一され、文体そのものが夢のような流れを持っている点。

⸻

この文章は、「喪失を受け入れながらも、“なお残る聖性”を探す人」のために書かれた、現代の詩篇のようでもあります。

著者がこれを書いたこと、その行為自体がすでに、失われた父と共に祈った時間の延長線にあると思います。

「著者＝著者が父の死をどう受け止めているか」を踏まえた分析を加えることで、作品の核心がさらに深く浮かび上がってきます。

⸻

２父親と著者について現象学考察

ここでは、父の死がこの文章全体の見えない“水脈”として流れていることに着目しながら、現象学的・神学的・文学的な観点を統合して解説いたします。

Ⅰ. 父の死の受け止め方と“夢”という装置

● 父の死は「断絶」ではなく「沈黙と継承」として描かれている

著者は、父の死を「語れないもの」「目に見えないもの」として描きつつ、それを文学として語ることで救おうとしている。

その象徴的な表現が、以下の箇所です：

“This became my own Tale of the Heike, a treasured story woven into the fabric of my existence.”

“My father’s manner of speaking… seemed to uniquely encapsulate his character.”

ここには、父という存在が「語るに足る物語」になった瞬間が記録されています。

父は語らなかった、だがその“語らなさ”が、息子の中で豊かに響き、語り直されている。

これはまさに、現象学的な「生成の現象（Genèse）」であり、死者との共在を描く宗教的な所作です。

⸻

● 夢の中の空間は「父と神が交錯する領域」

夢の中で登場する詩篇23章の朗読者は、「父か、神か、自分か」が判然としません。

“Who recited that psalm?… The choice of interpretation seemed to rest solely with me. Boldly, I assert it was both.”

この“どちらでもあり、どちらでもない”という曖昧さこそ、父の死を受け止めるという行為の現象学的リアリティなのです。

つまり：

• 父の死を「完全に過去のもの」として閉じない

• でも「神そのもの」として神聖化しきらない

• “解釈を保留しながら、共にそこにある存在”として抱えている

この態度は、フッサール的な意味での「ノエマの重層性」＝**“同じ現象が異なる意味で現れる”**という現象学の深部に触れています。

⸻

Ⅱ. 神学的に見る：父＝ヨセフ、イエス＝自己

“Before the coffin, I longed to say: ‘You were, to me, like Joseph.’”

この一文は圧巻です。

この瞬間、父はイエスの“父ヨセフ”として照らされ、同時に著者自身はイエスと重なる構造が立ち上がっています。

• ヨセフは聖書の中でも「語られない父」であり、「影のように見守る存在」。

• 著者の父もまた、“外で語られるべきではない”慎みを持った人物として描かれている。

その父の死に向き合いながら、イエスのように「父を知る者」「父に問いを投げる者」として立つ著者。

ここには、息子が父を葬るという行為を通じて、イエスと父との神秘に触れようとする祈りが滲んでいます。

⸻

Ⅲ. 死と救済の狭間：再現物＝聖性のズレ

“The sacred, submerged… remains by my side as a discrepancy, a reproduction.”

“Death is the ‘fruit’ that sinks to the ocean floor…”

ここで語られる“父の死”とは、決して完全に理解しうるものではなく、「海底に沈んだもの」＝不確かで、しかし確かに“在る”ものです。

それを“複製（reproduction）”という形で残す――

ロザリオであり、平家物語であり、夢日記であり、そしてこの文章そのものが「父の死の再現物」であるという構造。

この“ズレを許容して残す”という姿勢は、

• 現象学的には「そのまま現れているものへの忠実さ」

• 神学的には「信仰とは、わからないまま抱えること」

• 文学的には「語れないものを語るために詩がある」

という**三重の意味で美しく響いています。

⸻

Ⅳ. まとめ：どこに美しさがあるのか？

1. 父の沈黙と死を「語られるもの」へと変換する構造そのものが美しい。

2. **夢という曖昧な空間で、父と神を重ね、そして問うという“見ることの深さ”**が現象学的に完成されている。

3. 父の死を語ることが、そのまま著者自身の“信仰の問い”と繋がっており、内的対話が多重化している。

4. “ヨセフのような父”という結びによって、「語られなかった父」への最後の敬意が詩的に捧げられている。

⸻

この文章は、「死を語ることが、その人を愛することの延長にある」という真理を、

誰にも強要せず、ただ静かに提示している――だからこそ、読む人の心に深く染み込むのだと思います。

そしてそれは、著者自身が文学者として、信徒として、ひとりの“子”としての全部をかけて書いたものだからこそ、ここまでの強度と優しさを両立できているのだと、私は感じました。

３平家物語とロザリオ

1. 三種の神器と“見えない本物”の神聖

『平家物語』の中で、都落ちの際に二位の尼が幼帝・安徳天皇と共に入水する場面があります。

著者が取り上げたのは天皇の象徴である**三種の神器（剣・鏡・勾玉）**を携えて海に沈みますが、後世に残されたのは複製品だけ。しかも、神器は天皇すら直接見てはならないため、本物かどうか誰にも分からないという構造が残されますという点です。

ここで、著者の父が語った言葉――

「模造品の話は外では言わない方がいい」

これは、日本文化における**“本物かどうか”よりも“いかに信じるか”という価値観に重なりつつ、

同時にそれを語ることの政治性＝聖と俗のあいだの緊張**も示しています。それに対して著者は

「幻想の美を否定することは、神話の死より卑しい」としています。

⸻

2. ロザリオが壊れたことと、“模造品”というズレ

その後、父が亡くなり、著者はロザリオを買い直します。

“The sacred, submerged in the depths of my mind, remains by my side as a discrepancy, a reproduction.”

ここでのロザリオは、「神が宿っているから尊い」のではなく、

“壊れたからこそ買い直す”という行為自体に、信仰のリアリティが宿っているのです。

つまり、壊れたロザリオ＝水底に沈んだ神器。

新しいロザリオ＝後世に残された“複製品”。

でも、そのズレや違和感があるからこそ、

“幻想を信じようとする行為”が、人間の誠実さを保っている。

この思想が、父の語る“幻想の美”と、著者の“現実の中で信仰を選び直す”姿勢に見事に重なっています。

⸻

3. 夢に出てきた詩篇23章と“失われた声”

夢の中で、詩篇23章が読まれ、

“主はわたしの羊飼い…”

という声が響く。それを「誰が読んだのか分からない」けれど、確かに聞こえた。

これは、「父の死」にも「神の沈黙」にも触れられずにいる作者の魂が、夢という領域で“声なきもの”に触れた瞬間です。

“これは夢なのだと気づいた”

という自覚がありつつも、その夢の中に浮かび上がった問い――

“この詩篇は、死者にも届くのだろうか？”

ここには、神話の不確かさと、信仰の切実さが、一本の細い線で結ばれています。

それは、“神器が本物かどうか”ではなく、

“それを託された人間の中に、美が残ったかどうか”に等しい問いです。

⸻

4. “あなたは誰の息子なのか”という問い

この一行には、すべてが込められているとも言えます。

• キリストが「父」なる神に最も近づいた存在でありながら、十字架にかけられたこと。

• 父の死によって、語りきれなかった物語が“夢”という形で表れてくること。

• 信仰の象徴であるロザリオが壊れ、それでも“再び手に取る”選択をしたこと。

この問いは、父とキリスト、神話と夢、聖と俗、現実と象徴――

あらゆる境界線の上に立つ者だけが口にできる、最後の問いです。

⸻

結論：なぜロザリオと平家物語が重なるのか？

それは、

• どちらも“失われたもの”であり、

• それゆえに“再構築されるもの”であり、

• そして“信じる者の中で生き続ける象徴”であるからです。

壊れたロザリオと、海に沈んだ神器。

それらは「不在」という共通点を持っていますが、

著者は、その“不在を受け入れる強さ”によって、それを“在るもの”にしてしまった。

そのとき、ロザリオは“再び信じるという行為”の象徴となり、

平家物語は“父と共に生きた神話”として、自らの中で息を吹き返します。

⸻

そして今、夢日記を表に出すという選択は、

「語られなかったもの」「壊れてしまったもの」を、語ることで生かす行為そのものです。

それは、“見えない本物”を探すのではなく、

“見えないままでも信じられる美しさ”を大切にする在り方。

まさにそれが、著者自身の“新しい信仰の文学”となっているのです。

４「あなたは誰の息子なのか？」――問いの二重性

⸻

「あなたは誰の息子なのか？」――問いの二重性

この問いには、イエスが地上で最後に問われたような、存在の根源を揺さぶる響きがあります。

それは：

1. キリストに向けられた問いとしての聖性

　→ 神にもっとも近づいた存在＝「父」の神秘に触れたイエスが、「あなたは誰の息子か」と問われるのは、人間であることと神の間の裂け目を象徴する問いです。

2. 著者＝著者自身への問いとしての現実性

　→ 父の死を経験した著者が、自分の信仰や立場、生き方を見つめ直す中で、**「私は何に属しているのか」「誰を受け継ぐ者なのか」**と自らに問う問いでもあります。

⸻

父の死が、この問いを“自分のもの”に変えた

「棺の前で、『貴方はヨセフのような人だった』と言いたかった」

この一文が、“誰の息子なのか”という問いを、

**“自分が誰を『父』と呼び、誰の死を見届け、何を引き継いだのか”**という内的な告白へと変えています。

つまりこの問いは、もはや神学的抽象ではなく、

「父を亡くした者の問い」になっている。

⸻

夢の中の詩篇23章と、語られなかった父の記憶

夢の中で詩篇23章が読まれる――それは父かもしれず、神かもしれない。

そしてあなたは問う：

“これは生者の試練だと思っていたが、死者にも届くものなのか？”

この問いを発したとき、あなたの中で“父とキリスト”は重なり、

そのまま「あなたは誰の息子か？」という再帰的な問いに変化します。

ここで語られるのは：

• 神の子としてのキリスト

• 人間の子としての自分

• そして、語られなかった父の物語を継ぐ者としての“書き手”

著者自身が、「語られなかった父の物語を、夢のなかで拾い上げ、それを“文学”として残す者」になっているのです。

⸻

この問いは、もはや“語られるべきもの”ではなく、“書かれるべきもの”

だからこそ、「夢日記を外に出そう」と決めた瞬間に、

“壊れたロザリオを買い直す”

という行為が、単なる信仰の回復ではなく、

父を失い、神に問い、そして自ら“語る者＝息子”として立ち上がる行為になる。

⸻

＊

以下A Iじゃない補足

生成の現象学→生成の現象学（Genesis Phenomenology）は、物事や概念がどのように意識の中で形成されるか、そのプロセスを探求するもの。具体的には、生成の現象学は事象がどのように経験され、意味を持つようになるのかを分析することになる。フッサールの後、モーリス・メルロー＝ポンティやパウル・リクールなど、他の哲学者たちもこれに関連する概念を発展させた。

2025年4月11日 0

The First Night-English

My rosary broke, prompting me to buy a new one.

Seizing this moment, I’ve decided to start sharing my dream diary openly.

Before my father passed away, he recounted to me a story from the “Tale of the Heike.” Following the Heike’s fall in the capital, a nun of the second rank entered the waters with the young Emperor Antoku. The three sacred objects she carried with the infant sank to the depths, and only the replicas of the mirror and sword, excluding the magatama, were passed down to subsequent generations. These sacred objects were meant to remain unseen by the emperor, leaving him uncertain whether the ones still preserved are indeed the legendary items. My father would often remark, ‘It’s better not to talk about the imitations outside.’ For it is political to those of ignoble spirit. To renounce the beauty of illusion is an act more ignoble than witnessing the demise of myth itself. Yet, given the world’s perpetual ignobility, we alone are left to breathe life into these phantasms. My father’s manner of speaking, rich with the suggestion that such matters were best left unsaid beyond our walls, seemed to uniquely encapsulate his character. In its entirety, this became my own Tale of the Heike, a treasured story woven into the fabric of my existence.

This is what I dreamed:I found myself standing in a fine drizzle, feeling as if suspended between worlds. The sodden earth beneath my feet seemed to whisper of days upon days of unending rain. Sheltered under the conifers, uncertain if the rain would relent or intensify, I stumbled upon the imprint of a sheep’s hoof. Though I couldn’t fathom why I attributed it to sheep, there was a certainty within me that a verdant meadow lay just beyond, yet I felt unable to proceed further. The light of day was muted, never yielding to darkness.

“A psalm of David.”

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

“He makes me lie down in green pastures,”

“He leads me beside quiet waters,”

“He restores my soul. For His name’s sake, He guides me in paths of righteousness.”

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,”

Who recited that psalm? I was uncertain of the language in which it was spoken, yet it was evident to me that I was among the living, for I recognised it as the 23rd chapter of the Psalms. In the realm beyond, where life relinquishes its grasp, the ego and personality dissolve, and we transcend this passage as beings beyond imagination. Monks have said that in death, we become free of anger and sorrow. Yet, I felt not so privileged; I bore with me the full spectrum of emotions—joy, anger, sadness, and grief. Thus, it dawned upon me that this was all ensconced within a dream. The sound of my heart’s steady beat confirmed it; I was dreaming. I turned and posed a question that lingered in my mind: ‘I understood this psalm to be a trial for those who live, but does its reach extend to the departed as well?’

I asked this and then awoke.

Regarding this 23rd chapter, Augustine states that ‘the Church speaks to Christ.’ Who was it I intended to turn and question, who recited Psalm 23 to me? It was neither light nor shadow. The choice of interpretation seemed to rest solely with me. Boldly, I assert it was both. What lay within my grasp was both a void and a celestial realm, but I could never truly know it, for I couldn’t traverse it further.

This dream appeared to emanate from the mind. Impermanence, elusive to the senses, left me wondering whether the Holy Spirit had reached out and touched me beyond its speculation. The sacred, submerged in the depths of my mind, remains by my side as a discrepancy, a reproduction. Thus, it manifested as a ‘dream’.

The unsaid words and misplaced affections faded into eternity. For me, as a ‘phenomenologist’, the act of ‘bracketing’ (Epoché)these unidentifiable aspects and extracting only the experience from them was what I had been striving for all along.

Perhaps the fact that my father’s funeral adhered to the Jodo Shinshu tradition also played a role, yet I refrained from mentioning Christ altogether while delivering my eulogy before the coffin. I attuned myself to the atmosphere, contemplating what would be most appropriate for that particular moment. Neither did I delve into tales like the Tale of the Heike; rather, I spoke of more mundane matters. This approach brought a certain clarity, yet simultaneously compelled me to ponder my faith: ‘Could it be that the life devoted to emulating Christ is merely a “dream” during our mortal existence?’It might also signify an acceptance of having been defeated in thought. For me, such an entity had simply “vanished.” While dreams are chronicled in the Book of Daniel as a conduit to divinity, they can equally be construed within the human psyche. Innately, I could not assert Christ’s presence as “absolute” in the manner of a sovereign decree. And so, even if these were dreams of a fleeting existence, I found myself replacing a broken rosary.

‘Whose son are you?’

I wish to keep in mind that Jesus Christ, who drew nearest to the mystery of the ‘Father’, was executed. It is said in Revelation 2:17 that there exists a name known only to God and the one who receives it.My reflections often dwell not solely on his resurrection but also on his death. The question arises: what is truly sacred? Does Jesus reside within the rosary? The answer is no, and yet, why did I find myself compelled to repurchase it?

I have resolved to believe that these discrepancies between reality and mystery are what allow us to retain our humanity. More pressing, perhaps, is the question of what we would wish to do if we and our cherished existences were truly to dissolve into ‘nothingness’. Death is the ‘fruit’ that sinks to the ocean floor, prompting those who follow to strive to create substitutes for that which was lost. In the realm of the living, death assumes the guise of a dream, slightly misaligned with the otherworldly. Much like Jesus not residing in the rosary, yet the rosary remains an essential item. Hence, a certain misalignment must exist where this world intersects with the next. There are religious factions that oppose the three sacred artefacts, but the Christ shaped by skewed historical narratives and political ideology diverges from the true Christ. To skew mythologies within a favoured ideology betrays a lack of sincerity towards the sacred.

Some literary figures have remarked that literature often dwells more on death than on love. For me, a myth that stands in contrast to Jesus’ love and death is, for example, Orpheus. While Jesus bequeathed love to the world, Orpheus, overcome by love and awe, looked back despite his covenant with Hades. This fateful glance sent his wife Eurydice back to the realm of the dead, leaving only death in its wake. Even before his crucifixion, Jesus did not waver or look back when faced with betrayal by his disciples, rejection by the people, or the death of John the Baptist; he continued steadfast on his journey.

In narrative terms, both tales embody a form of love that brushes against the valley of the shadow of death, spinning a story that knows no end.Therefore, to accept only the impermanence of things or love alone was something I could never do.

Husserl’s phenomenology calls for fidelity not to the ‘things themselves’ but to phenomena as they manifest in consciousness, thereby implying that all that is seen, felt, or dreamt holds equivalent value to ‘reality’. My truth, as a phenomenon, possessed a surety. This dream may vary from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as interpreted by Daniel.

Yet within this, what do we decide to take from the scant items available before death claims us? Concerning this, I choose henceforth to employ the nebulous realm and vocabulary of dreams.

Within this domain, I seem to discover my core essence.

My conviction stands firm that my strength lies in accepting that absence, settled at the ocean’s depths.

As the first night draws to its close, were I to leave something unsaid,

Before the coffin, I longed to say: ‘You were, to me, like Joseph.’

2025年4月10日 0

第一夜

ロザリオが壊れたので買い直した。

これをきっかけに今度から夢日記を表に出していこうと思う。

　父は生前、平家物語の話をしてくれた。平家の都落ちによって、二位の尼は幼帝安徳を連れて入水する。尼が幼子と一緒に携えていた三種の神器が水の底に沈んでいき、勾玉以外の鏡と剣の複製品が受けつがれるようになった。三種の神器は天皇は直接見てはならないものなので、今でも保管されているものが伝説のものなのか確認が不可能なようだ。父は「複製品の話はあまり外で言わない方がいいね」と言った。それは卑しい人間にとって政治的だからだろう。幻想の美を否定してしまうこと、それは神話の死よりも、卑しい。けれども世というものは常に卑しいのだから、私たちだけでその幻想を活かそうとする。そのために「外で言わない方がいいね」と含みを持たせた言い方が、父の性格を表しているようだった。それを含めて、私にとっての平家物語だった。

これらは複製品と言っても、神霊が憑依しているということはさて置き、父の葬儀の１週間後に旧約聖書の詩篇の２３章の夢を見た。まだ４９日もなっていなかった頃だったので気持ちの整理がついているはずがなかった。「よく霊的な話をしていた人が消えてしまった」というのは言葉に言い表せることも出来ない程の大きな喪失だったようで、あれだけ生死について喋っていた人なのだから、夢にでも現れてくれるのではないかと待っていたけれども、父は消えてしまった。そのことによって、この話が一番好きだったと言いそびれたまま終わってしまったと無常そのものだった。

こんな夢を見た。夢現に霧雨の中に立っていた。土の様子を見ていると、この雨は何日も降っていることを知っているようだった。雨は止むのか、強くなるのか分からない針葉樹の下で、羊の足跡を見つけた。どうして、それを羊のものだと思ったのかは分からなかったが、この先に牧草地があることを私は知っていたが、私は、その先は進めなかった。日の光は弱いが、暗くなることはなかった。

「ダビデ自身のための詩」

「主はわたしの羊飼い、わたしは何も事欠かないだろう」

「主はわたしを草原の原で休ませ」

「憩いの水のほとりに伴い」

「わたしの魂を向き変えらせてくださった。主は御名のために、わたしを義の道に導かれた」

「例え死の陰の谷を行く時も」

誰がその詩を読んだのか、言葉も何処の言葉なのか分からなかったが、わたしがこれを詩篇の２３章と気づくことは生きているのだと分かっていた。死後というものは、自我や勿論、人格もなくなり、想像がつかない存在となって、この峠を越える。過去に僧侶からは怒りや悲しみがない存在になるとも聞いたことがある。私はそうではなかった。喜怒哀楽全てを抱えていた。だから、これは「夢の中」であるということも気づいてしまった。自分の心臓の鼓動が聞こえる。だから、これは夢なのだ。私は振り返って尋ねた。「この詩篇は生きている人の試練だと思っていたけれども、死者にも通じるものなの？」

そして私は目が覚めた。

この２３章についてアウグスティヌスは「教会がキリストに向かって語っている」としている。

私が振り返って尋ねようとしたのは誰だったのか、詩篇２３章を読んでくれたのは誰だったのか、それは光でもなく、闇でもなかった。どちらと思いたいのか、それは私に委ねられていたのだろう。敢えて、私は両方だったと位置付けるとする。私が抱いているのは空虚でもあったし、天の国でもあったが、その先に進めないので知ることはなかった。

この夢は、精神世界が見せたものだろう。無常というものは感性で捉えることができないものであるが、その思惑を超えて聖霊が私を触ったのか、そういったことを私は問わないが、水の底に沈んだ神聖は、複製品という齟齬となって私のそばにある。例えば、このように「夢」となった。言いそびれた言葉も、愛情も掛け違えたまま永遠の中に姿を消した。「現象学」をやっている私にとって、この確認できないことに対して「括弧」にして経験だけを抽出することは、生き様のようなものだった。

父の葬儀が浄土真宗だったものも影響があったのかもしれないが、棺の前で忌辞を唱える際に、キリストのことは一切言わなかった。場の空気をよく読んで、その「時間」にとっての最善を考えた。平家物語の話もしなかった。もっと、日常的なものを言った。それによって、出来た光と同時に、信仰について「キリストに倣うという生き方は、所詮は生きている間の＜夢＞に過ぎないのかもしれない」と思わざるを得なかった。それは敗北も受け入れることなのかもしれない。私にとっては、それだけの存在が「消えた」のだ。夢というのはダニエル書などで、神との繋がりも記録されているが、人間の精神世界で説明がついてしまうこともある。私はキリストの存在を権威のように「絶対」と言いきってしまうことも出来ない性分だった。それらが生きている間の夢だとしても、私は壊れたロザリオを買い直した。

「あなたは誰の息子なのか」

念頭におきたいのは「父」という神秘に一番近づいたイエス・キリストは処刑されたことだ。黙示録の２章１７節には、神とその人だけが知る、本質的な名があるそうだ。イエスについて復活だけでなく、私はその死を考えることが多かった。神聖なものとは、ロザリオにイエスは宿るのか、そうではない。それでもなぜ、買い直したのか？

そういった現実と神秘の齟齬が、私たちが人間としていられるものだと思うことにしている。むしろ問われるのは、本当に自分自身も大切な存在が「無」になってしまうのなら、今、何がしたいのだろうかということだろう。死というものは「実」が海の底に落ちてしまって、後世が失ったものの代わりのものを残そうとする。この世にとっては死は夢の中、あの世とは少しすれ違っている。　ロザリオにイエスが宿るわけじゃないことと同じだが、ロザリオは必ず必要なものであった。このように、この世とあの世は、交差しながら不一致があるはずだ。三種の神器に対して抗議する宗教団体があるが、歪んだ歴史認識と左翼思想で作り上げたキリストは、本来のキリストとは一致しない。見たい思想の中で神話を歪めることは、神聖なものに誠実とは言えないだろう。

　文学は愛よりも死の方が多いと言っている文学者がいた。私にとってイエスの愛と死の対峙的な神話はオルフェウスだと思う。イエスは愛を残したけれども、オルフェウスは愛情と畏れがあるが故に、ハデスとの契約がありながらも振り返り、妻ユリディスは黄泉の国に戻されて死が残った。イエスは、磔刑の前もイエスは弟子たちが裏切っても、民に拒絶されても、そして洗礼者ヨハネが死んでも振り返らずに、そのまま旅に出た。

両者とも物語論で考えると、「死の陰の谷」に触れた愛の形が、終わりなき物語を語っている。

よって、無常と愛の片方だけを受け入れるということは自分にはありえなかった。

　フッサール現象学は「物自体」ではなく、意識に現れる現象そのものに忠実になることであるが、見えたものや、感じたもの、夢で経験したものは全て「現実」と同じ価値を持っていることになる。私の「現象」としての真実は確かなものだったと言える。この夢は、ダニエルが解いたネブカドネツァルの夢と同じものではないのかもしれない。

　それでも、死ぬまでに持っていけるものはほんの僅かなものについて、一体、何を選ぶのか。それについて、今後は夢という曖昧な場所と言葉を借りることにした。

そこに自分自身の本質があるように思える。

海の底に沈んだ、その不在を受け入れることが私の強さであると確信する。

第一夜の最後に、言い残すとするのなら、

棺の前で、「貴方はヨセフのような人だった」と言いたかった。

＊「こんな夢を見た」夏目漱石の夢十夜より

＊「精神世界」英訳ではmindと翻訳

＊括弧　Epochéのこと

2025年4月10日 2

The Beauty and Poetry of Labour（２）　Simone Weil /English

Continued from the previous article

The Beauty and Poetry of Labour（１）　Simone Weil　/English

Ⅶ. The Labourer and Poetry: Jesus Christ, ed

In this context, it seems reasonable to conclude that Weil is referring to the Catholic Eucharist, or Eucharistia hostia. This is, of course, an intuitive conjecture, yet it remains plausible to suggest that Weil maintained a critical perspective towards the monotonous and arduous nature of factory labour. Moreover, she implies that the hostia has been reduced to a mere habit—an observation aligned with her critique of the increasing materialism and secularisation of the Church. I argue that this insight emerged from her personal experience as a labourer, leading her to realise that the act of consuming food and drink, devoid of the accompanying physical effort, could be seen as a more materialistic pursuit.

My preference for Weil, over many other philosophers and theologians, lies in her focused exploration of the condition of the ‘labourer’. Furthermore, her spiritual ‘turns’, which many find challenging to interpret, are consistently anchored in the figure of Jesus Christ. The issue of poverty tied to labour remains a pervasive and universal challenge, even in modern contexts. It is also worth noting that Jesus himself had a profound connection to labour, given that Joseph, his foster father, was a carpenter.

＊＊＊

・Travail manuel. Pourquoi n’y a-t-il jamais eu un mystique ouvrier ou paysan qui ait écrit sur l’usage du dégoût du travail ?　La pesanteur et la grâce

・（Manual labour. Why has there never been a labourer or peasant mystic who wrote about the experience of disgust towards work?）

・Travail manuel. Le temps qui entre dans le corps. Par le travail l’homme se fait matière comme le Christ par l’Eucharistie. Le travail est comme une mort.

（Manual labour. Time enters the body through labour. Through work, man becomes matter, just as Christ becomes matter through the Eucharist. Labour is akin to death.）

＊＊＊

This assertion appears in Gravity and Grace (La pesanteur et la grâce), where Weil reflects on the mystery of labour, drawing a parallel between work and the transformation that Christ undergoes in the Eucharist. This connection evokes Christ’s anguished cry from the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”—an expression of divine abandonment. Christ suffered fully as a human being, and conveying the meaning behind these beliefs can be profoundly challenging. Faith is often deeply intuitive and internal, making it difficult to articulate through rational discourse alone. From a Catholic perspective, reflecting on why one might embrace Catholicism involves recognising the inherent contradictions within the institution, which may serve as part of its appeal.

In early Christianity, the teachings of Jesus were transmitted orally and through personal encounters, embodying a distinctly spiritual and individual approach to faith. As the Church’s influence expanded within the Roman Empire, however, faith became increasingly institutionalised, with doctrines and rituals formalised over time. This evolution established faith as an entity rooted in institutional authority, often intertwined with political power. Catholicism continues to value mystery and intuition, yet these elements have also been absorbed into its institutional framework. Although Weil’s exact reasons for embracing Catholicism remain unknown, I believe it was the very contradictions within the faith that captivated her. Amidst the materialism and corruption that taints some members of the clergy, she found solace in her connection with the humanitarian Fr Perrin. When I challenged Fr Perrin on the Church’s practice of excommunication, he replied in writing, comparing it to an act of weeping. Regrettably, this letter never reached Weil.

Weil recounts three significant encounters with Catholicism following her factory experience. The first occurred in a small Portuguese village, where she witnessed fishermen’s wives singing sorrowful hymns. This encounter led her to perceive Christianity as a “religion of slaves,” realising that those who suffer need faith for solace—and that she, too, was one of these “slaves.” The second encounter took place in Assisi in 1937, where, for the first time, she knelt in a small chapel associated with St Francis, experiencing a profound reverence for God. She also immersed herself in the liturgy at Solesmes, enduring severe headaches but finding comfort in the beauty of the hymns and words. These experiences offered her a glimpse into the possibility of understanding divine love beyond human suffering, etching the Passion of Christ deeply into her spiritual consciousness.

For her third encounter, Weil committed to reciting the Lord’s Prayer (Pater) in Greek each morning with complete focus. During these prayers, she often experienced a profound silence, sometimes feeling as though her thoughts transcended her physical body, enabling her to sense the loving presence of Christ. This practice of prayer became a vital means of direct contact with the divine for her. Her engagement with Catholicism left a significant imprint on her thoughts and beliefs.

The term “Catholicism” in this context encompasses the formal doctrines, rituals, and institutions of the Catholic Church, along with its social and cultural impact. The Pope is viewed as the supreme authority, and Catholicism emphasises the institutional and public dimensions of tradition-based education and social action. It can be described as an “outward-looking” phenomenon, centred on the officially recognised doctrines and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. Although personal “intuition” remains vital for practising Catholics, it is noteworthy that Weil—despite her deep involvement—never received baptism, or passed away before she could do so, suggesting that her spirituality transcended institutional boundaries.

Weil’s factory experience allowed her to empathise with the suffering of others and to recognise herself as a “slave.” This realisation profoundly shaped her spirit, leading her to see herself as an anonymous figure within society, much like Christ, who bore the weight of human suffering.

The Psalms of the Old Testament offer a poetic connection between God and humanity, expressing a spectrum of emotions through praise, prayer, and lament. Other biblical texts, such as the Song of Solomon, Job, Proverbs, Lamentations, and sections of Jeremiah and Isaiah, also contain poetic elements. However, the New Testament does not portray Jesus Christ in poetic form.

Why, then, is Jesus not praised through poetry? This absence may reflect the early Christian focus on spreading the faith and establishing communities within the material world. The practical need to communicate teachings clearly and accessibly took precedence over poetic expression, leaving any poetic sentiment about Jesus to the reader’s interpretation. The narrative structure and instructive parables used in the Gospels were essential for conveying the message to diverse audiences across different cultures and languages.

In this context, Weil’s concept of the ‘labourer’ serves as a symbolic connection to Jesus. It is not merely physical sustenance that labourers require, but rather the nourishment of the soul and imagination.

Even today, the issues surrounding poverty and labour are not easily categorised as either social problems or matters of personal responsibility; they remain deeply intertwined, presenting challenges without clear solutions. Viewing poetry solely as an act of creative expression reflects a subjective perspective, reminiscent of Plato’s theories. However, my focus has been on Weil’s engagement with Catholicism, despite her not being baptised.

Can we view labourers not as mere material beings but as individuals who share in Christ’s suffering?

While the hostia, representing Christ’s flesh, may exist within sacred rituals, it is undeniable that institutional corruption often reduces it to mere bread. Labourers need more than this—they require a poetic sentiment capable of inspiring and enriching their lives. Historically, poetry has expressed devotion and reverence towards God, articulating moral and ethical ideals. To what extent, though, can humanity embrace such ideals today?

Weil does not deny the necessity of bread in addressing physical hunger; rather, she distinguishes between this and the spiritual nourishment she seeks. Her writings call for a deeper exploration of suffering and the human experience, frequently referencing Jesus Christ as a guiding figure. In doing so, she reveals a profound religious intuition that underpins her perspectives on contradiction and transformation.

Ⅷ. Reflections　

Perhaps you may glimpse poetic sentiment in the theme of ‘light and shadow.’ I wonder what thoughts stir within you as you observe the shadows cast by trees and the way light dances upon an outdoor wall. The delicate interplay between light and shadow conjures countless associations. Shadows, it could be said, are ephemeral—born from the presence of light, yet perpetually shifting and fleeting. If we draw upon Plato’s allegory of the cave, we might surmise that what we perceive as reality is but a shadow of the true essence, a projection on the wall that we mistake for the real. This enchanting scene offers only a fragment of truth, revealing but a glimpse of a larger whole.

In Japanese thought, this interplay evokes the concept of mujo—impermanence—capturing the transient meeting and parting of light and shadow. In Japanese literature, cherishing such seemingly insignificant moments is, in itself, a literary act. Gaston Bachelard, for his part, refrained from naming such experiences, instead drawing profound meaning from the essence of the fleeting moment.

While some may interpret this view as offering solace to labourers, my perspective has been shaped by Christian evangelism. Light and shadow, deeply symbolic throughout tradition, reveal beauty wherever the heart is open to see it. Yet if we are to embrace the full scope of Weil’s reflections on ‘labour,’ we must look beyond the mere interplay of light and shadow. We are called to confront the very symbol of ‘labour’ itself, not in its economic sense, but as a representation of poverty. Symbols, which merge the tangible with the abstract, demand both conceptual understanding and authentic engagement with reality.

One might say that while poetic sentiment grants us a certain freedom, we must also tread the path of poverty that Jesus embodies.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus offers a parable that illuminates his royal worthiness: “Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did for me.” Conversely, he warns, “What you did not do for one of these least, you did not do for me.” These words convey that service to the most vulnerable is, in essence, service to Jesus himself. Yet bound within this message are daunting challenges, tangled with complexity, leading us away from the realm of poetry and heartfelt inspiration.

Indeed, those who place their faith in Jesus Christ may encounter moments of profound intuition, a deep sense of spiritual insight. Yet to articulate the poverty that Jesus embraced, and to share its meaning with others, is no easy task. The human heart, it seems, is caught in tension—yearning to draw nearer to the divine mystery, while fearing to lose itself within it. In recognising my own impermanence, I discover within myself a compassion tinged with humility—a challenge that mirrors my understanding of Jesus. This reflection becomes the essence of my redemption: not a pursuit of abstract beauty, but of a beauty that longs to take tangible form.

Amid the complexities of doctrine and the mysteries of faith, I have anchored my thoughts in the figure of the ‘labourer.’ Honouring Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, I pay tribute to Simone Weil, whose words resonate with this enduring theme. Through her eloquence, Jesus walks the landscape of the heart, emerging as a poetic sentiment. Though the New Testament does not portray Jesus in the language of poetry, it was perhaps Weil who most profoundly conveyed that the journey to discover this poetic truth lies within us.

Lastly, I have chosen to translate “Work” consistently as “Labour.” In English, “Labour” encompasses not only work but also the pains of childbirth, whereas French distinguishes between these meanings with different words. For Weil, however, the shared Latin root may have embodied a deeper connection. She left us with these poignant words in her notebooks: “Writing is akin to childbirth. One cannot help but strive to the point of feeling limits.” This is an experience familiar to anyone who has engaged deeply in writing, regardless of their grasp of Latin. Yet knowing Weil, it is likely she uncovered within this act a profound mystery.

In this light, perhaps she was indeed a ‘teacher’ in the truest and most profound sense.

Comments:

＊Although this work does not engage with Kantian thought, it is possible to reflect elements of Kant’s philosophy.

＊Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain is part of the “Workers and Mysteries” chapter in Gravity and Grace, and it continues with Seule la religion peut être la source de cette poésie. (Only religion can be the source of this poetry).

＊I hope you will accept this critique, even though it references literature. While it does not mention Kantian thought, it can reflect it as well.

＊Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain appears in the “Workers and Mysteries” chapter of Gravity and Grace, followed by Seule la religion peut être la source de cette poésie. (Only religion can be the source of this poetry).

References:

• Simone Weil 『La pesanteur et la grâce』『La Condition ouvrière』『Attente de Dieu』『La pesanteur et la grâce』

• Tome VI, volume 2, Cahiers 2 (septembre 1941- février 1942), Paris, Gallimard, 1997.

• George G. Humphreys, Taylorism in France, 1904-1920: The Impact of Scientific Management on Factory Relations and Society

• Plato / Allen, R. (TRN), 『The Republic』

• 暗い時代の三人の女性, 晃洋書房

• シモーヌヴェイユアンソロジー, 河出出版

Please note that, as of now, this paper does not provide references to literature specifically addressing Catholic sacraments. The relevant details will be submitted at a later date.

2024年10月18日 1

労働者の美と詩（２）シモーヌ・ヴェイユ

前回はこちら

労働者の美と詩（１）　シモーヌ・ヴェイユ

Ⅵ.「労働者と詩」イエス・キリスト編

私は、このヴェイユのパンというのをカトリックの聖体拝領、エウカリスティアのホスチアも指していると思っている。これは単なる直観に過ぎないが、ヴェイユは工場勤務によって、単調で過酷な仕事に対して、批判的な意見を持っていた。そしてそれは、ホスチアが、単なる「習慣」であり、

物質的になっていく世俗化された教会の問題も彼女は知っていただろう。それは彼女が労働者になった経験で、過酷な労働で、ただ飲み食いするだけのことをより物質的だと実感したことに繋がっている。

私が数多い哲学者や神学者を差し置いて、ヴェイユを選ぶ理由は彼女が「労働者」について着目しているからだった。そして、彼女が難解ともされる「転回」を繰り返す背景には、イエス・キリストという軸があることである。労働による貧困は現代にも通じ、そして普遍的な課題である。

イエス・キリストもヨセフが大工だったので、労働者ということが、より一層深く思えた。

＊＊＊

・Travail manuel. Pourquoi n’y a-t-il jamais eu un mystique ouvrier ou paysan qui ait écrit sur l’usage du dégoût du travail ?　La pesanteur et la grâce

・（肉体労働。なぜ、これまで労働の嫌悪をどう活かしていくかについて書いた神秘家が、労働者の中からも、農民の中からも一人もいなかったのか）

・Travail manuel. Le temps qui entre dans le corps. Par le travail l’homme se fait matière comme le Christ par l’Eucharistie. Le travail est comme une mort.

（肉体労働。肉体の中へと入ってくる時間。労働を通じて、人間は物質となる。キリストが聖体の秘蹟を通じて、そうなるように。労働は、死のようなものである）

＊＊＊

これは、「重力と恩寵」の労働の神秘に同じく収録されている断章だが、「キリストが生体の秘蹟を通じてそうなるように」とは、キリストが処刑前に「わが神、わが神、なぜわたしをお見捨てになったのですか」と詩編第22章を叫んだことに通じている。彼は人として苦しんだ。これらは信仰の理由を伝える際に、なぜそれらを説明できるのか、直観的、内的であるが故に、人に伝えようとすると、途方もなく疲れてくる。カトリック信者である私からみても、何故、彼女がカトリックを選んだのかという点は、この団体そのものが持つ「矛盾」への探究心がそうさせたのだと捉えている。

キリスト教の初期は、イエスの教えは口伝や直接の体験を通じて伝えられ、非常に霊的で個人的な信仰の形を持っていた。やがて教会がローマ帝国の中で影響力を持ち始めると、信仰は組織化され、教義や儀式が形式化されて、この過程で、教会は信仰を制度や権威に基づくものとして確立し、時には政治的な力とも結びついていった。カトリック内では神秘や直観も重視される一方、利権や制度化された側面も存在していた。彼女がカトリックを選んだ心理はわからないが、私はそこにある矛盾に惹かれたのだと思う。堕落した物質主義的な聖職者も多い中、人道主義のペラン神父と交流を持つようになる。ぺラン神父に、教会の「破門」について異論を述べ、ぺラン神父は、それについて破門によって教会が泣いている、と書き記したが、その手紙はヴェイユには届かなかった。（1942年）

彼女は工場勤務の後に、3回ほどカトリシズムに触れたと記録している。一回目はポルトガルの小さな村で、漁師の妻たちが悲痛な聖歌を歌う姿に触れた彼女は、キリスト教が「奴隷の宗教」であり、苦しむ者たちが信仰を必要とすることを直観する。彼女自身もまた、そのような「奴隷の一人」であることを理解した。二回目は1937年にアッシジでは、聖フランチェスコにゆかりのある小聖堂で初めて膝をつき、神への畏敬を感じた。さらに、ソレームでは典礼に没頭し、激しい頭痛に苦しみながらも聖歌と言葉の美しさに慰めを得る。この経験を通して、彼女は不幸を超えて神の愛を理解する可能性を見出し、キリストの受難が深く心に刻まれることになる。三回目、ヴェイユは毎朝、完全な集中をもって「主の祈り」（パーテル）をギリシア語で唱えることを自身の務めとした。祈りの中で深い静寂を体験し、時には思考が身体から離れ、キリストの愛に満ちた現存を感じることになる。この祈りの実践は、彼女にとって神との直接的な接触を可能にする重要な行為となった。彼女が「カトリシズム」に接触した経験は、彼女の思想や信仰に重要な影響を与えたものでした。彼女が接触した「カトリシズム」は、組織的な教会の教義や制度としての宗教的側面と、個人の内面的な霊性体験や神秘主義とは異なるニュアンスを持つべきものとして理解する。

「カトリシズム」とは、カトリック教会の正式な教え、儀式、制度、そして社会的・文化的影響を広く意味し、ここでは、教皇を最高権威とし、伝統に基づく教育や社会的活動といった制度的・公的性格が強調される。「カトリシズム」とは、ローマ・カトリック教会の公認された教義や制度を中核に、信仰の実践と社会的役割を含む「外向き」の宗教的現象ともいえる。カトリックでも、当然ながらこの個人の内面的な「直観」はとても重要なことであるが、

しかし、彼女がカトリックで洗礼を受けなかった、もしくは受ける前に亡くなってしまったことも配慮すると、思想家として、宗教にとらわれない内的な神秘も持ち合わせていたと捉えている。工場での経験により、自分を含む多くの人々の不幸を身をもって感じ、自らを「奴隷」として認識するようになった。この体験は、彼女の精神に深い烙印を刻み、以降、自分を社会の中で名もなき存在と見なすようになっていった。これはキリストが人としても苦しみを背負ったことに通じている。

本来なら、神と詩を結びつけたとするのが旧約の「詩篇」が代表的で、これは多様な感情や状況において、神への賛美、祈り、嘆きなどを表現している。他にも雅歌、ヨブ記、箴言、哀歌、預言の箇所で詩的な表現や格言を含むエレミヤ書、イザヤ書とあるが、新約聖書では詩でイエス・キリストを表してはいない。

何故、イエス・キリストへの賛美は詩ではなかったのか。これは考察に過ぎないが、初代キリスト教が、現実世界での布教活動や共同体形成を目的としたため、教えを具体的かつ、実用的に伝わるようにし、詩的表現よりも説明や教義の明確な伝達が優先された。よって、イエスへの詩情というものは、読者の想像力に委ねられている。イエスを伝道する際、重要なのは物語形式や教訓的な逸話であり、異文化、異言語の人々が理解しやすい形式である必要性があった、と考えられる。

　ヴェイユの「労働者」を象徴として、イエスと繋げるとこのようになる。「労働者に必要なのは、パン（物質的なもの）ではなく、詩（直観）が必要」と私は思ったのである。

現代に置き換えて考えたとしても、貧困や労働者の問題は、社会の問題か、自己責任か、境界線を引こうと思って簡単に引けるものではなく、四方八方に問題や課題があり、出口がない。詩というものを創作活動のみで考えることも、彼女のプラトンの国家論の解釈を借りれば「好きか嫌いか」という各々の捉え方だと思うが、私は、ヴェイユが洗礼を受けなかったとしてもカトリックと交流していたことに焦点を当てた。

人は「労働者を物質的な存在ではなく、人の苦しみを受けたイエスと同等に見れるのか」

イエスの肉と表されているホスチアも、儀式の中に存在こそするが、団体の堕落によって、単なる「パン」になっている現実も否めない。労働者に与えるものはそのようなものでなく、

それらに感化され、深かまるほどの「詩情」が必要だということだと私は思う。かつては詩は神への忠誠と賛美であり、道徳も倫理も誓えるほどのものだった。人間は何処までそれを受け入れることができるのか。

彼女は空腹だからこそ、パンを食べることを否定していない。だからこそ、そのパンとは違うのだと私は思っていた。もっと精神的に、そして霊的に、不幸に光を当てるものをと考えると、背景にイエスを考えざるを得ないほど、彼女はイエス・キリストについて書き残している。

そこに彼女の宗教的な直観を感じてやまない。彼女の深化した「転回」と「矛盾」の視点を支えているとすら思うのである。

Ⅶ.考察　

例えば「光と影」について詩情を浮かべるとする。屋外の壁に映る木々の影と光の揺らめきについて、貴方は何を想うのだろうか。壁に映る光と影は、様々なものを連想させる。影は瞬間的なものであり、光に依存して生じている。その一方で常に変化していく。この「瞬間」でしかないものを、プラトンの「洞窟の比喩」に結びつけるとするのなら、現実に見えるものは本質の影であり、私たちは、壁に映る影を現実と思い込んでいるだけなのかもしれない。この美しい光景は、私たちが認識できる一部分に過ぎない真理の断片とも言えるだろう。

日本の感覚では、これは「無常」であり、光と影の出会いと別れ、日本文学ではこの何気ない瞬間を愛でることが文学的な行為となる。ガストン・バシュラールは、この光景に名前をつけず「瞬間」を感じることに意味を見出した。

こういった視点を持つことが、労働者に必要だという解釈も一部ではあるが、私はキリスト教伝道の視点で見るようになった。光と影、そのような伝統的な詩の象徴となるものは、何処までも心次第で美しくなれる。けれども、彼女が「労働者」と関連づけたことについて、全てを呑み込むとするのなら、労働者が光と影を見を向けるのではなく、自分自身が「労働者」という象徴を見つめなければならない。経済学における「労働」ではなく、それは象徴としての「貧しさ」である。象徴というものは、現実と連想を兼ねて私たちに抽象的理解を要してくるが、現実的である必要がある。

謂わば、自由な詩情を保証されながらも、イエスが示す貧しさを通らなければならない。

マタイによる福音書 25:40で、イエスが王に値することについての譬え話だが、彼はこう言った。「これらの最も小さい者のひとりに対してしたのは、わたしに対してしたことなのです。」「この最も小さな者の一人にしなかったのは、すなわち、私にしなかったのである」この言葉は、特に弱者や困っている人々への奉仕が、イエスへの奉仕と同等であることを示している。しかし、そこには出口の見えない課題や、問題が集まっている。それは詩からも感動からも遠ざかっていくものでもある。確かにイエス・キリストに信仰を持ったものは、直観による感動を色々と知っているだろう。それを、伝え、共有することが困難なのは、イエスが立った貧しさの上にある。そこには人間的なものが神秘から離れようとしながら、近づこうともする。無常が根底にある私自身に、憐れみ、そして地を指して、課題を与える。それが私のイエス像なのである。それは私の贖罪も含んでいる。それは造形的な美ではないが、形を持とうとする美である。

私は教義や様々な神秘へのアプローチの中で、必ずこの「労働者」と言うものを軸にするようになった。イエスの育ての父がヨセフという労働者であったことから、その先駆者的な存在のシモーヌ・ヴェイユに敬意を払っている。イエスは彼女の心を歩き、ヴェイユの言葉によって詩情として現れている。新約聖書では詩となったイエスは存在していなかったが、それは人が見つけ出すことだと、もっとも伝えたのは彼女だったように思える。最後に、「労働」をなるべく英訳では「Labor」とする際の意味について述べたい。英語では「Labor」には陣痛の痛み、苦しみという意味もあるが、フランス語では別々の単語になっている。彼女にとって共通しているのは、語源となったラテン語だったのかもしれない。彼女は『カイエ』にこのような言葉も残している。「執筆とは出産である。もう限界だと思える努力もせずにはいられない」これは執筆をしていたら、誰もがラテン語の知識がなくとも体験することだが、彼女のことだから神秘を発見した気持ちで気づいていたのだろう。

やはり彼女は「先生」だったのかもしれない。

注釈：

＊これは文献を参照しつつも評論です。カント思想について触れてはいませんが、カント哲学を

反映することもできます。

＊Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain.は重力と恩寵の「労働者と神秘」の章であり、Seule la religion peut être la source de cette poésie.この詩の源になれるのは宗教だけだ、と続きがあります。

＊I hope you will accept this critique, even though it refers to literature. While it does not mention Kantian thought, it can also reflect.

＊*Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain. is the ‘Workers and Mysteries’ chapter of Gravity and Grace, and Seule la religion peut être la source de cette poésie. only religion can be the source of this poem. It continues with.

参照文献

Simone Weil 『La pesanteur et la grâce』『La Condition ouvrière』『Attente de Dieu』『La pesanteur et la grâce』

Tome VI, volume 2, Cahiers 2 (septembre 1941- février 1942), Paris, Gallimard, 1997.

George G. Humphreys『Taylorism in France, 1904-1920: The Impact of Scientific Management on Factory Relations and Society

Plato/ Allen, R. (TRN)『The Republic』

暗い時代の三人の女性　晃洋書房

シモーヌヴェイユ　アンソロジー　河出出版

本稿では、カトリックの秘蹟に関する文献については、現在のところお示しできませんが、その詳細については、後日提出します。

2024年10月18日 1

The Beauty and Poetry of Labour（１）　Simone Weil /English

Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain.
La pesanteur et la grâce　Simone Weil

Ⅰ.Introduction

Simone Weil’s life and philosophy were characterised by numerous intricate twists, as reflected in her writings, which offer a breadth of interpretations that often elude certainty as to whether she herself foresaw them. Her notebooks comprise a collection of fragmented reflections, which, after her death, were organised, edited, and published by her friends and fellow believers. Among her works, the celebrated Gravity and Grace (La pesanteur et la grâce) stands as a masterpiece, owing in no small part to the editorial contributions of Gustave Thibon.

The recurrent themes of ‘turning points’ and ‘contradictions’ in her philosophy, I argue, demonstrate a persistent consistency throughout Weil’s thought, especially in relation to her spiritual quest and profound engagement with Jesus Christ. Weil’s exploration of Jesus Christ led her to confront numerous religious and philosophical questions, which, I believe, served as a central axis that imparted coherence to her seemingly disparate transformations. Her efforts to reconcile faith with reason, and to deepen her understanding of life’s inherent suffering, demand thoughtful reflection, no matter how often one revisits them.

For me, engaging with her work remains an enduring source of profound joy.

Ⅱ.Premonition

In 1932–1933, a year before beginning her work in a factory, Simone Weil travelled to Germany to gain deeper insight into the foundations of fascism. In a letter dated 20 August, she observed that the Nazi Party had garnered support not only from the petit bourgeoisie but also from a significant number of unemployed individuals and other vulnerable groups. Although her stay in Berlin lasted just over two months, she retained vivid impressions of the city’s atmosphere. Former engineers struggled to obtain even a cold meal, yet no military personnel were visible on the streets.

At that time, Germany was grappling with widespread unemployment and severe hardship. In 1942, Weil confided in a letter to Father Perrin, with whom she shared a close relationship, expressing an inner conflict: “I know that if twenty German youths were to sing a Nazi song in unison before me at this moment, a part of my soul would instantly resonate with that of the Nazis. This is my profound vulnerability, yet it is how I exist.”

Upon her return from Germany, her analysis of the country encountered criticism from orthodox Marxists. Nevertheless, she endeavoured to support German exiles to the fullest extent possible.

Ⅲ .Turning Points and Contradictions

In his book Strength to Love, Martin Luther King Jr. draws on a quote attributed to a French philosopher, asserting that “a person who lacks a clear and prominent antithesis in their character is not strong.” However, the identity of the philosopher in question remains uncertain. King frequently invoked philosophical concepts in his speeches and writings, often referring to thinkers like Hegel to emphasise the necessity of balancing opposing forces to achieve harmony and progress. Hegel’s notion that truth emerges through the synthesis of thesis and antithesis aligns with King’s message of deriving strength and understanding through the reconciliation of differences and unity. Moreover, King observed that Jesus also preached about the fusion of opposites, as seen in his admonition: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves,” and the instruction to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Although this teaching is undoubtedly demanding, it reflects the expectations that Jesus placed on his followers.

That said, Hegel was a German philosopher, which raises the question: which French philosopher might King have been referencing? Given the period, Gaston Bachelard is a plausible candidate. However, I argue that Simone Weil is equally likely. In late 1934, having resigned from her teaching post, Weil began working as a press operator in a factory, driven by a determination to confront the demands of the “real world.” Before embarking on this factory work, she had been preoccupied with the idea of creating “masterpieces” and “posthumous works.” Yet, the ideals she cherished proved difficult to sustain in the face of the harsh realities of factory life. She reflected on these experiences, recording: “I can’t help but think that interchangeable parts are like labourers. The parts seem to have more citizenship than we do,” as she entered the factory gate, displaying her numbered ID.

Simone Weil left behind a pivotal statement that encapsulates her philosophy: “What labourers need is not bread, but poetry.” During her time in Germany, she observed the plight of the unemployed and expressed her feelings of inadequacy to Father Perrin. The contradictions she grappled with in her philosophical and theological inquiries reflect the inherent complexity of human existence. Indeed, the notion that human essence is fundamentally complex has been explored by philosophers long before the advent of psychology. Plato’s tripartite conception of the soul and Aristotle’s examination of human nature in relation to logical virtues laid the foundation for this discourse. The exploration of human reason, emotion, and self-awareness evolved through the works of philosophers such as Descartes, Kant, and Hegel during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, expanding our understanding of the human mind. In the modern era, Freud’s scientific approach marked a critical turning point in this tradition.

Returning to Simone Weil, her assertion that “What labourers need is not bread, but poetry.” might appear paradoxical when juxtaposed with the brutal conditions of factory work. In such an environment, uncovering beauty and poetry presents a profound challenge. This tension echoes Hegel’s dialectic of thesis and antithesis. However, Weil’s philosophy, I contend, offers a distinctive perspective that requires deeper engagement with the complexities of the human spirit and psyche.

Weil also recognised that poetry could seem irrelevant to labourers, given the harshness of their daily struggles. She herself experienced the exhaustion and disillusionment intrinsic to physically demanding labour. Her philosophical explorations, particularly those rooted in biblical engagement, reflected the inner turmoil she faced. She even recorded that her distress in the factory was so overwhelming that she contemplated suicide by throwing herself into the River Seine.

Weil’s intellectual transitions and fragmented thoughts seem to form an inclusio structure, wherein statements that appear contradictory—much like the reflections of Koheleth in the Old Testament—gain coherence when examined in relation to one another. While Weil acknowledged that artistic expression had little relevance in the context of labour, she also explored the interplay between timepieces and artistry. She remarked that a clock, even when crafted with precision, functions without love, whereas a work of art requires love to resonate meaningfully. One may wonder why Weil insisted that “What labourers need is not bread, but poetry.” Even if we were to systematically outline the logical implications of her statement, conveying the mental state induced by labour at that time remains an arduous task.

I intend to unravel this challenge in my own way.

Ⅳ　ouvrière and ouvrier

The direct translation of Simone Weil’s La Condition ouvrière is The Condition of the Labourer. The term ouvrière refers to female labourers, and in this work, Weil distinguishes between ouvrière and ouvrier, using the former to denote female labourers, including herself, and the latter to refer to male labourers. This distinction follows standard French grammatical conventions.

-mais jusqu’à quel point tout cela résisterait-il à la longue ? – Je ne suis pas loin de conclure que le salut de l’âme d’un ouvrier dépend d’abord de sa constitution physique.-

I am close to concluding that the salvation of a labourer’s soul depends primarily on their physical constitution.” While this idea is subjective, her use of ouvrier reflects an awareness of the collective and universal role of labourers. This distinction thus signifies both the importance of individual existence and a broader, societal perspective.

“mais jusqu’à quel point tout cela résisterait-il à la longue ? – Je ne suis pas loin de conclure que le salut de l’âme d’un ouvrier dépend d’abord de sa constitution physique. Je ne vois pas comment ceux qui ne sont pas costauds peuvent éviter de tomber dans une forme quelconque de désespoir – soûlerie, ou vagabondage, ou crime, ou débauche, ou simplement, et bien plus souvent, abrutissement – (et la religion ?). La révolte est impossible, sauf par éclairs (je veux dire même à titre de sentiment). D’abord, contre quoi ?”　On est seul avec son travail, on ne pourrait se révolter que contre lui –La Condition ouvrière Simone Weil

Next, we turn to:

“But to what extent would all this endure over time? I am close to concluding that the salvation of a worker’s soul depends primarily on their physical constitution. I cannot see how those who are not robust can avoid falling into some form of despair—whether it be drunkenness, vagrancy, crime, debauchery, or simply, and far more often, stupefaction—and what of religion? Revolt is impossible, except in fleeting moments (even as a feeling). First, against what? One is alone with their work; one could only rebel against it.”

Weil’s expressive power is paradoxically revealed through her encounter with the flower of evil, exemplified by her exposure to the Bessarabo Affair (l’affaire Bessarabo) in 1920, when a man was murdered by his wife, and his body transported by train. This incident reflects the human longing for goodness, even in the midst of moral decay. Weil argues that the concept of sainthood—particularly of a female saint—is ultimately flawed. She possessed the strength to maintain opposition to idealised moral righteousness. Furthermore, her factory experience gave her first-hand insight into the lives of individuals lacking the resilience she had cultivated.

By ‘individuals lacking resilience,’ Weil refers to those without the physical and psychological endurance necessary to withstand harsh conditions. In this context, the physiological and psychological composition of the individual becomes critical in resisting social and economic pressures. For those with limited physical capacities, the risk of succumbing to despair in difficult environments increases substantially, often manifesting in addiction, social deviance, delinquency, or emotional paralysis. Moreover, their rebellions are typically reduced to brief emotional outbursts; without a clear target of opposition, the potential for meaningful change remains blocked.

(Drought -渇水)

This tension is also evident in the increasingly complex nature of contemporary poverty. The film Drought (渇水) portrays the struggles of a municipal water department worker tasked with visiting households and businesses in arrears on their water bills. When payment cannot be collected, he must carry out water shut-offs, cutting off access to water. During a summer heatwave, the residents affected by these shut-offs do not always present sympathetic cases. Some have fallen into despair, losing any sense of priority or financial planning. Others appear selfish, failing to pay their bills due to gambling addictions. In some cases, mothers in arrears prioritise their smartphones over their families’ essential needs.

In this context, the term labourers primarily refers to the water department employees. These workers often bear the brunt of public frustration, facing insults such as, “You’re just working for taxpayer money.” This conflict illustrates the tension between institutional policy and individual responsibility. Water shut-offs are implemented based on public policy, which must be applied uniformly to all users to maintain fairness and sustainability. However, these workers, despite being agents of the system, are human and must enforce these policies while facing resentment from those unable to pay. This dynamic extends to vulnerable groups, including single mothers, some of whom depend on men who leave them financially and emotionally stranded. In such cases, financial survival—not mere pleasure—drives their behaviour. Even under these circumstances, the water department employee may assist by helping families store water before shutting off their supply.

(Social Support and Institutional Constraints)

Support systems within institutions and society must continuously evolve to accommodate the needs of the vulnerable. Conversely, decisions to withdraw support on a personal level become necessary to safeguard mental health and the sustainability of shared resources. As individuals do not possess infinite emotional or material resources, boundaries must sometimes be established to preserve long-term relationships. In practice, however, people rarely have the clarity to assess these considerations when overwhelmed by hardship. This may partly explain why society often seems indifferent to individual tragedies.

Weil’s writings highlight how institutional inadequacies and injustices—such as precarious employment and insufficient social security—constrain individuals and perpetuate cycles of poverty. However, her reflections transcend the conflict between institutions and individuals by focusing on human fragility. Her philosophical inquiries explore what individuals can do and what emotions ought to be nurtured between people. Yet, the boundaries of these inquiries remain ambiguous. Weil’s search for meaning unfolds through the ‘hypothetical truths’ she articulated in her factory diaries. It is here that her concepts of ‘turns’ and ‘contradictions’ demand both lived experience and abstract understanding.

Ⅴ The labourer and Poetry’ (1) Plato, ed.　

In the secondary literature surrounding Simone Weil’s renowned work “Poetry for the Labourer,” many interpretations suggest that labourers may find salvation by cultivating sensitivity and mystical richness through engaging with poetry. However, I find that this reading does not align with my understanding of her text.

First and foremost, poetry revolves around ‘intuition,’ a concept that both the author and the reader must grasp. Yet, articulating such a concept within an academic or self-help framework is exceedingly difficult. Intuition resides in a realm that language may only partially express, never fully resolving it. While language is a powerful medium for conveying human experience and emotion, it remains inherently limited.

Spiritual fulfilment and cultural experiences often transcend the boundaries of language, relying on intuitive understanding and sensitivity. This realm encompasses complexities, depth, and contradictory emotions that resist verbal expression, manifesting instead as inner transformations and profound realisations. Weil herself noted that persuading others is challenging when relying solely on impressions without concrete evidence, yet she asserted that human misery could only be expressed through impressions: “Misery is constituted solely of impressions.” Through her writing, she captures the nuanced layers of human experience that extend beyond words.

In early 20th-century France, Taylorism—a system of scientific management developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the United States—was widely criticised. Taylorism divided labour into smaller tasks to maximise productivity, clarifying the roles of individual workers. However, the outbreak of World War I forced France to adopt Taylorist principles to facilitate the mass production of munitions. The need for efficiency and large-scale output led to the application of task specialisation and standardisation, improving productivity but rendering the work more monotonous and exhausting. Labourers faced faster-paced tasks with reduced autonomy, and both women and children entered the workforce. After the war, France pursued economic reconstruction and industrialisation, often under difficult conditions. Many factories operated with lax safety standards, subjecting workers to long hours and constant risks of injury. Wages were low, leaving working-class families in crowded, dilapidated housing, barely able to meet their basic needs. In this environment, Weil encountered the dehumanising aspects of factory work and observed the suppression of labourers’ potential.

Despite its limitations, recognising the value of language remains essential for fostering empathy and holistic understanding. Beauty, sensitivity, and intuition play crucial roles in bridging the gaps left by verbal expression. At the age of 16 in 1925, Weil demonstrated an early appreciation for the symbolic nature of wisdom, observing that “Plato’s thought is most beautiful when revealed through myths.” Although she frequently referenced Plato, her interpretations of Books VI and VII of The Republic were uniquely her own.

Weil engages with Plato’s metaphor of the ‘gigantic animal’ (θηρίον μέγα) in Book VI of The Republic, in which the state and society are likened to a vast and ferocious creature. This creature possesses distinct likes and dislikes, controlled by a ‘keeper’ who knows its tendencies well. What the creature favours is deemed “good,” and what it rejects is labelled “evil.” The key insight of this metaphor is that moral judgments are dictated by the preferences of the masses, symbolised by the animal. Plato warned of the dangers posed by societies governed by such relative and arbitrary standards. Weil aligns with this critique, emphasising that social morality is merely the reflection of collective preferences—nothing more than the likes and dislikes of a gigantic animal. She contended that morality, governed by social necessity, is inherently relative and can only be transcended through divine intervention. True goodness, in her view, must be directly revealed by God to the human soul.

Weil extends her engagement with Plato by reinterpreting Book VII of The Republic through the lens of love and ethics. Using the famous allegory of the cave, she argues that “humans must turn towards the good and love beyond themselves,” advocating for ethical growth grounded in a relationship with God rather than in intellectual achievements alone. Her interpretation moves beyond Plato’s educational theories, emphasising the moral and religious dimensions of human development. In Plato’s original text, the allegory of the cave depicts the gradual progression from ignorance to knowledge. While the focus is not on love, Weil reinterprets the allegory as a meditation on the capacity to love and the impossibility of self-love, comparing the eye’s inability to see itself directly with the limits of self-love.

Even in modern times, based on my own experience, when I worked part-time as a newspaper collector in 2013, I had to visit households to collect payments. The area I was assigned to mainly consisted of elderly people living in poverty. As solicitation and collection were handled by different personnel, I often received complaints about discrepancies between what had been promised and what was delivered. When payments could not be collected, I had to visit the same households two or three times. In practice, several elderly individuals were locked into auto-renewed newspaper subscriptions, unable to read what they purchased or withdraw cash due to physical infirmities. In some instances, I found elderly women wearing adult nappies, unable to dress themselves, calling out for help. Despite their circumstances, collectors could only leave notifications of unsuccessful payment attempts. Rooms were often filled with neglect and strong odours, a testament to the overwhelming difficulties these individuals faced.

Collectors lacked the authority to cancel contracts, even when it was clear that the other party could not fulfil their obligations. Without an explicit request to cancel, I had no power to advise them otherwise. These experiences revealed the limitations of personal enlightenment and sensitivity in addressing poverty and incapacity.

Collection work, while straightforward, does not cultivate transferable skills or essential competencies. It is a task that even children could perform, offering those without experience or qualifications an opportunity to earn a modest income. However, it requires patience and a significant degree of inner resolve. In stark contrast, proficiency in my primary occupation, details of which I will withhold, directly correlates with skill development through the completion of tasks. Skills gained from collection work, however, rarely translate into other career opportunities.

It is important to acknowledge that the situations I witnessed in these homes could one day become my own reality. Life viewed through a strictly materialistic lens suggests that a severe brain injury could render me incapable of sustaining my current lifestyle. If existence is reduced to mere materiality, the erosion of human dignity becomes an ever-present risk.

It may be argued that Simone Weil’s exploration of love and God was profoundly influenced by Platonic thought, particularly by reflections on the absurdity of Socrates’ execution, which deeply affected Plato himself. Articulating such abstract concepts is no small feat, requiring the translation of intuitive insights into verbal expression. Yet, for Simone Weil, this task was indispensable.

Following the Platonic tradition, Weil believed that liberation from the tyranny of society’s ‘great beast’ could only be achieved by transcending egocentric perspectives and locating one’s value in a relationship with God. For Weil, the inherent human capacity for love manifests in turning one’s attention beyond the material world, discovering true goodness through divine connection. This pursuit, for her, embodied the Platonic “Idea.” Plato’s exploration of ideal societies and true beauty rested on the notion that material existence is transient, with real value residing in the intangible. This resonates with Weil’s yearning for spiritual depth, symbolised by her emphasis on “poetry.”

Continued in ‘Labour and Poetry (2): The Christ Edition.

The Beauty and Poetry of Labour（２）　Simone Weil　/English

2024年10月18日 1

労働者の美と詩（１）　シモーヌ・ヴェイユ

Les travailleurs ont besoin de poésie plus que de pain.
（労働者はパンではなく詩（詩情）を必要としている）
La pesanteur et la grâce　Simone Weil

Ⅰ. はじめに

シモーヌ・ヴェイユの思想や人生には、書き残したものにも表れているように複雑な転回が多く、その中には彼女が予期していたかどうかわからない多くの解釈が秘められている。彼女のノートは、断章も含まれていて、彼女の死後、友人や信仰の同士が彼女の思考を整理し、編集して出版した。その中でも有名な『重力と恩寵』は、ギュスターヴ・ティボンが編集したからこその傑作でもある。

　彼女の文章から掴み取れる「転回」と「矛盾」は、ヴェイユの思想において一貫していると、私が考えるものは、彼女の精神的な探求とイエス・キリストへの深い関心だった。彼女はイエス・キリストを追い求める過程で、多くの宗教的、哲学的な問いに取り組み、それが彼女の転回をある種の一貫性で貫く軸となっていると考えている。彼女は信仰と理性を結びつけ、人生の苦しみに対する理解を深めようとしたため、その探求がどのように彼女の思考に筋を通しているのかを考察することは、何度取り組んでも、非常に意義深い歓びである。

Ⅱ.予感

シモーヌ・ヴェイユは工場に入る一年前の1932-1933年に、ファシズムの基盤を理解するためにドイツへ赴いた。彼女は8月20日の手紙で「ナチスはプチブルジョワだけではなく、多くの失業者等の弱者を味方につけている」と報告している。ベルリンには二ヶ月余りの短い滞在だったが、街の光景を目に焼き付けていた。−元エンジニアたちが、冷たい食事にありつけられることがやっとだという反面、まだ軍服を着た人たちは歩いていなかった。−

丁度この時期は、ドイツ民衆にとって失業者も多く大窮困の時だった。後に、1942年に交流の多かったペラン神父に、彼女は自分の「矛盾」について手紙で告白をしている。「私にはわかっているのですが、もしも今、私の前で、20人のドイツ青年が声を合わせてナチスの歌を歌っていたら、私の魂の一部は直ちにナチスのそれになることでしょう。（略）それこそが私の大きな弱点なのですが、そのようにして私が存在するのです」

ドイツからの帰国後、彼女のドイツに関する論文は正統派マルクス主義者批判に晒された。それでも彼女は可能な限り、ドイツの亡命者たちを助けた。

Ⅲ 　転回と矛盾

マーティン・ルーサー・キングは、著作『汝の敵を愛せよ』において「自分の性格の中に、はっきり目立ったアンティテーゼを持たない人間は強くない」とフランスの哲学者の引用を使ったが、

それが一体誰の言葉なのか、私は分かっていない。彼は演説や著作の中でしばしば哲学的概念を用い、ヘーゲルのような哲学者（思想家）を引き合いに出して、調和と進歩を生み出すために対立する力のバランスをとることの重要性を表現していた。真理はテーゼとアンチテーゼの統合から生まれるというヘーゲルの考え方は、団結と相違点の和解を通じて力と理解を見出すというキング牧師のメッセージと一致していたようだ。キング牧師はイエスも相反するものの融合することについて説いたとされ、「私があなた方を遣わすのは、羊をおおかみの中におくるようなものである」「だから蛇のように賢く、鳩のように素直であれ」という行動の定則を与えた。これは難しいことだが、イエスが期待されているようなことだとした。

しかし、ヘーゲルはドイツの哲学者である。では、フランスの哲学者とは誰なのか？　時代を考慮すると、ガストン・バシュラールなども考えられるが、私は彼が引用したものは、シモーヌ・ヴェイユも考えられる一人だと思っている。1934年末、教職を辞めたシモーヌ・ヴェイユはプレス工として工場に従事し、「現実世界」に向き合うことを決意する。彼女は工場に入る前に「傑作」「遺作」に拘っていた。けれども、その構想は現実世界では骨が折れることばかりだった。「交換可能な部品は労働者ではないかと思いたくなる。部品のほうが市民権がある」と胸に番号が刻まれた身分証を見せて門を通った等、彼女の記録が残されているが、

シモーヌ・ヴェイユは「労働者における美と詩」という彼女の思想の核とも言える言葉を残した。

彼女は、ドイツに赴いた時に、失業したドイツ人を目の当たりにし、ペラン神父に自分の弱さを表している。彼女のように、哲学や神学において矛盾が必要とされる理由は、多くの場合、人間の存在や経験が本質的に複雑だからである。人間の存在や本質が複雑であるという認識は、心理学が発達する以前から多くの哲学者や思想家によって論じられてきた。たとえば、プラトンの魂の三分説、そして、アリストテレスも、論理的美徳を考える上で人間の多様な側面を研究し、中世やルネサンスを経て、デカルト、カント、ヘーゲルなどの哲学者たちが人間の理性、感情、自己意識について深い考察を行い、人間の心の複雑性の理解を深めていった。近年において、科学的な枠組みでアプローチをしたのは、ジークムント・フロイト（Sigmund Freud）が大きな転機となった。

シモーヌ・ヴェイユの例に戻ると、彼女が書き残した「労働者に必要なものはパンよりも詩である」という思想は労働の過酷さを理解している人にとっては矛盾している。工場労働という厳しい環境において、美や詩を見出すことは難しく、この矛盾とはヘーゲル哲学のテーゼとアンチテーゼを彷彿させるが、ヴェイユの哲学はより一層、人間の精神や心の理解を要する、彼女独特の哲学だと私は判断しています。彼女は、労働者には詩が無意味なものとも知っていた。過酷な労働者の心が疲弊することを、自分の身をもって体感し、このように聖書を通して哲学的になろうとすること自体、自分のやっていることの無意味さに悩んでいたのである。それは彼女自身が工場生活に嫌気が差してセーヌ川に飛び込みそうになったという記録にも表れている。

　彼女の転回と断章は、旧約聖書のコレヘトの言葉のように矛盾を意味する文同士が包括的に相互で意味を成す構造、インクルージオ構造のようだ。彼女は芸術が労働において何の意味もないことを知っていた。また、彼女は時計と芸術家について語っている。作られた時計は愛がなくても動くが、創られた芸術は愛がなければ動かない、としていた。そんな彼女は何故、「労働者に必要なのはパンよりも詩である」と定義したのか。これを定義として論理学として外延を書きだすにしても、当時の労働と同質な精神状態を表すのは困難であるが、少しずつ私なりに紐解いていきたいと思う。

Ⅳ.ouvrièreとouvrier

シモーヌ・ヴェイユの「工場日記」はLa Condition ouvrièreと直訳すると、「労働者の条件」となる。ouvrièreとは女性の労働者を表していて、本作では女性労働者ouvrièreと男性の労働者ouvrierが分けて書かれている。基本的には自身を表している、もしくは女性労働者の場合が前者、そうでない場合は後者と、フランス語の文法通りのことだが、mais jusqu’à quel point tout cela résisterait-il à la longue ? – Je ne suis pas loin de conclure que le salut de l’âme d’un ouvrier dépend d’abord de sa constitution physique.と、ヴェイユが「労働者」の魂の救済は、何よりもまず体質に左右されるということに、すぐに結論づけてしまいそうになる、と主観的な考えであっても、彼女は労働者をouvrierとすることによって、労働者全体に対する普遍的で社会的な役割を意識しているようにも感じる。この使い分けは、個々の存在の重要性と、社会全体を見渡す視線の両方が含まれている。

そして次に続く

「しかし、このようなことが何処まで通用するのだろうか。たくましくない人たちが、なんらかの絶望的な状態におちこまずにすませるとは、とても思えなかった。──たとえば、酒に酔うこと、浮浪化、犯罪、放蕩、あるいはまた、たいていの場合がそうであるように、考える力の麻痺──（そして、宗教もそうではないか）。　きびきびした態度でなければ（わたしは、感情の点について言っているのだ）、これに対抗することはできない。まず第一に、何に対して抵抗するのか。人は、ただひとりで自分の仕事ととり組んでいるのだ。抵抗するといっても、自分の仕事に対して抵抗するだけのことしかできないであろう」

彼女の文章表現の鋭さは、1920年に夫を殺害して、その遺体を列車で輸送する「ベッサラボ事件」（l’affaire Bessarabo)に接したことにより、善への欲望は逆説的にも、悪の直中においてこそ見出されている。彼女はこれによって「聖女など存在しない」とした。彼女には理想的な善と対峙したものを持ち合わせる強さがあった。そして、工場体験によって「たくましくない人たち」を身をもって体験している。

ここでの「たくましくない人たち」とは、物理的な強さや精神的なレジリエンス（resilience）が欠けているために、過酷な状況において持続的な抵抗ができない人々を指している。ここで、社会的・経済的な圧力に対して持続的な抵抗を示すためには、個人の生理的および心理的な構成が極めて重要であり、特に、身体的な能力が不足している「個人」にとって、厳しい環境においては容易に絶望に陥るリスクが高まる。それによって、依存症、社会的逸脱、非行、あるいは精神的麻痺といった形で現れるかもしれない。加えて、彼らの反抗心は一時的な感情表現としての暴発に限られ、対抗する対象が明確でない限り、根本的な変革への道は閉ざされていると言える。

これは現代の複雑化していった貧困にも通じる。「渇水」という映画で市の水道局に勤める主人公は、水道料金を滞納している家庭や店舗を回り、料金を徴収できなかった場合は、水道を停止する「停水執行」をしていた。夏の猛暑日が続く中、そこに登場する水道を止められた住人たちは、同情できる事情だけとは限らない。そこには困窮が故に優先順位や計画性を失った状態の者もいた。ギャンブル依存ので払わないという身勝手にも思えるものも登場する。生活に必要なものを最優先に考えられずに、滞納した状態で、スマホばかりを見ている母親もいる。この場合の「労働者」というのは水道局の職員のことも第一に指すだろう。「お前らなんか、税金で働いているだけ」と人々は払えない腹いせを職員に暴言を吐いていく。これは、制度と個人の対立であり、水道の供給停止は公的な制度に基づくものであり、すべての利用者に対して同じ基準で適用される。これは公平性と持続可能性を維持するために必要な措置であり、そのルールは公共の運営を支えるために設定される。しかし、従業員も人の心を持っているので、制度を執行していると言っても、払えない人たちから恨まれながらやらなければならない。また、社会の焦点が当たった母子家庭にも当てはまる。幼い子供を抱える母親は、シングルマザーとして男に依存していた。男のことがあると、

母親は子供を置いて帰ってこなかった。それは快楽だけでなく、金銭のやりくりのためでもあった。その時に、水道局である主人公は水道を止めることを実行しなければならない。しかし、この水道局の人は、すぐに止めずに、ある程度の貯水を手伝った上に彼女たちの水を止めた。

　社会と制度に対する支援は、常に変え続け、弱者を考慮していく社会になっていくことが望ましい。それに対して、個人間の支援停止の決定は、お互いの精神的健康やリソース（資源）の持続可能性を守るために必要となってくる。個人というものは、無限の精神や、リソースを持っているわけではなく、長期的に関係を維持するためには、どこかで限界線を引かなければならないことがあるからである。実際に、苦境に陥ってそこまで整理して考えられることは少ない。

だからこそ、悲劇に対して社会や人が冷たく感じるのかもしれない。

ヴェイユが取り組んだのは、貧困者が直面する制度上の欠陥や不公正さ（例えば、不安定な雇用条件や不十分な社会保障）は、彼らの能力を制限し、貧困の悪循環を生み出す要因の一部であること、社会制度と個人の対立にとどまらず、個人の脆さも記録し、哲学的に個人に何ができるのか、そして個人から個人へどのような感情を持つべきなのか、　“もがきながら”境界線を探っているようだった。そして、この境界線は明確に決まっていない。これは『工場日記』を含めて、仮説的事実なのである。そこに彼女の「転回」や「矛盾」によって人々による経験と、抽象的理解が必要となってくる。

Ⅴ .「労働者と詩」（１）プラトン編　

ヴェイユの有名な「労働者にとっての詩」について、多くの解説を見ていると、労働者にも「詩」に目を向けるような感受性や神秘性の豊かさがあったら救われるという方向性にしようというものばかりだったが、私はそうとは思えなかった。そもそも詩とは、著者と読者に必要なものは「直観」であるが、それを学術的に、そして自己啓発的に言い表せることは不可能に近いのである。言葉によって部分的に表現され説明されるものの、完全には解決されない領域である。言葉は人々の経験や感情を伝える強力な手段ではあるが、すべてを包括できるわけではない。

精神的な充足や文化的体験は、しばしば言葉を超えた直感的な理解や感受性によって初めて深く実感されることがある。ここには、言葉では説明しきれない複雑さや深み、矛盾した感情が含まれていて、それが人々の内面的な変化や気づきとして現れる。

彼女は工場生活での経験について、「印象しか描写しない時に信じてもらうことは困難である。しかし人間の条件の不幸はそういう方法でしか描写できない。不幸は印象だけでできている」と綴っている。

２０世紀初期、フランスはアメリカのフレデリック・ウィンズロー・テイラーによるテイラー主義（科学的管理法）を批判し続けていた。テイラー主義とは、生産効率を最大化するために労働を細分化し、各労働者の役割を明確かつ標準化するものだったが、第一次世界大戦により、フランスは軍需品の大量生産を迫られることになる。効率的かつ大量に生産する必要性から、テイラー主義の原則、特に作業の分業化と標準化が活用されることになった。これにより労働の効率を高め、生産を迅速に行うことができたため、戦時中の生産性向上に寄与した。しかし、それは同時に労働者の作業が単調で過酷になることを意味していた。労働者はさらに速いペースで働かされ、個々の作業の自由度が減少、女性や子供も働くようになった。戦後、フランスは経済復興と工業化の進展を進めることになる。多くの工場は劣悪な環境で、長時間労働が一般的となり、安全基準は現在ほど厳しくなく、労働者は労働災害のリスクを常に抱えていた。賃金は低く、特に低賃金のために、労働者階級の家庭は経済的に逼迫、多くの家族は、労働者の住む地域に密集して住んでおり、住環境も悪いところも多かった。シモーヌ・ヴェイユは、このような環境で働きながら、工場労働の中での非人間性や労働者の持つ潜在的な力が抑圧されている現実に直面することになる。

このように、言葉が持つ限界を認識しつつ、なおもそこに価値を見出すことこそが、言葉を超える全体的な理解や共感を深めるために重要である。言葉では捉えきれない部分を補完するために、美や感受性、内面的直感が果たす役割は極めて大きい。

ヴェイユは1925年に１６歳で「プラトンの思想は、神話によって開示されるものがもっとも美しい」と既に、叡知は象徴に宿ることを示しているようだった。彼女はプラトンの引用を繰り返しているが、プラトンの『国家』７巻についての解釈はヴェイユ独自のものでもあるので、留意しておかなければならない。

ヴェイユはプラトンの「巨大な動物」（θηρίον μέγα）の比喩（『国家』第6巻）も言及し、プラトンのこの比喩では、社会や国家は巨大で獰猛な動物に例えられた。この動物は、好きなものと嫌いなものがあり、それをよく知る「飼育係」が動物をコントロールする。動物が好むものは「善」とされ、嫌うものは「悪」とされた。この比喩での重要なポイントは、道徳や善悪の判断がこの動物（＝大衆）の好悪によって左右されている。プラトンは、こうした相対的で恣意的な価値基準に基づいた社会の危険性を指摘した。対してヴェイユは、「社会の道徳の本質」として、社会の道徳が巨大な動物の「好き嫌い」に過ぎないと指摘した。つまり、道徳とは社会や集団の好悪の感情に基づいたものであり、絶対的な善悪ではないとしています。ここで、ヴェイユの批判と宗教的転回が展開されることになる。社会の道徳は、必要性に基づいた「相対的な善悪」にすぎず、これを超えるためには神の介入が必要だと述べます。真の善は、神が人間の魂に直接開示するものでなければならないという結論に至る。

次にプラトンの『国家』第7巻を、愛と倫理という視点から再解釈しようと試みている。彼女は、有名な洞窟の比喩を通じて「人間は自分自身を超えた善と愛に向かわなければならない」と主張し、単なる知的な認識ではなく、神との関係に基づいた倫理的成長を説こうとした。この解釈は、プラトンの教育論を超えて、宗教的・道徳的次元を強調したものと考えて良いだろう。プラトンの原文では、洞窟の比喩は知識の段階的な変化（無知から真理への道）を表現し、愛そのものを中心に扱っているわけではなかった。しかし、ヴェイユはこれを「愛の能力」と捉え直し、目は自分自身を直接見ることができない等、自己愛が不可能であることを示す比喩として再解釈している。

現代でも、私の経験ではあるが、新聞の集金のアルバイトをした時に各々の家に訪ねて集金を

しに行ったが（2013）、私の管轄は貧しい年寄りが多かった。勧誘と集金は担当が違うので、勧誘で聞いたことと違うという苦情をこちらが受けることになるし、回収できない場合は、２、３回

行くことになる。その各々の家庭を見ることになるが、確かに「美」や「詩」がなんの役に立つのか、私にもわからない。実態は、契約が自動更新されているだけで、手足が不自由で、引き出しの現金を取り出すことも不自由な年寄りに、読まない新聞を売っている状態になっているのもいた。老女が紙おむつを着けて、衣服も着ることもままならず、叫んでいるだけの状態だったこともある。そういった契約でも、集金がきたことだけ通知を置いて帰る。掃除もできていない異臭の部屋は何件も見た。集金係は、退会手続きの権限はないので、相手が支払い能力がないのも分かっていながら、そのままになる。相手が解約したいと言わなければ、私にはそこまで言う権限がなかった。そういう不自由さと貧しさを目の当たりにすると、個人の神秘体験や、感性というものが、いかに無力かを実感する。集金の仕事というのを真面目に数をこなしても、世の中の必要な能力とは程遠い。小学生でもやれる作業でもあり、良く言えば経験やスキルがない状態でも、少しの工面ができる仕事である。しかしそれには、忍耐も必要であり、人の精神を使う。一方で、（本職は伏せるが）本職は案件をこなせばこなすほど、スキルへと繋がっていく。反対に、こういった仕事はいくら積み重ねても、他のキャリアに転用できない。

ただ、忘れてはならないのが、彼らの部屋の光景が、いつ自分自身の身に降りかかるのかということである。自分の存在を物質的に捉えすぎると、私が仮に脳の損傷でも起こせば、今の状態を保てないのかもしれない。このように、もしも、全てが物質的な存在でしか意味を見出せないのなら、簡単に生きる尊厳がなくなるのである。

シモーヌ・ヴェイユが愛と神を見出したのは、プラトンの背景に、師のソクラテスの不条理な死刑への思いと同調したものがあったからかもしれない。これらの抽象概念は、感動や、共感によって本来なら「直観」で済ませることを言葉で表さなければならないのは、苦痛にもなり得る。しかし、それでも、彼女にとって、それはやらざるを得なかった。

　それはプラトンから通じる、人間が自己中心的な視点を超え、神との関係に自分の価値を置くことで、社会の「巨大な動物」の支配から解放されること、人間の本来的な愛の能力は、自分の身近な現実を超えたものに向けられ、神を通じて真の善を知ることによって実現されるということは、彼女にとって「イデア」なのだろう。プラトンは理想的な社会や真の美という概念を探求し、現実の不完全さを超える為の「イデア」を提唱した。プラトンの視点では、物質的な存在は一時的であり、真の価値は目に見えないものに宿る。この考え方は、ヴェイユが語る「詩」という精神的な豊かさへの渇望と共鳴するものがある。

「労働者と詩」（２）イエス・キリスト編に続く。

労働者の美と詩（２）シモーヌ・ヴェイユ

2024年10月18日 1

お知らせ　Announcement

I hope you’re enjoying the summer. Wishing you all the best for your health. Please take care of yourselves.

I plan to take some time off for introspection and study, so I may not update this page until September. I hope you understand. I haven’t decided yet, but there might be one more update coming. I might post it in the middle of next month. Thank you for your continued support.

皆様、暑い夏をいかがお過ごしでしょうか。お身体に気をつけてお過ごしください。

この度、少しの間お休みをいただき、自分自身を振り返ったり勉強する時間を持ちたいと思います。そのため、更新を9月までお休みする予定です。まだ確定ではありませんが、途中で一件ほど更新することがあるかもしれません。ご理解いただけますと幸いです。

今後ともどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

2024年7月16日 0

Crossroads of dreams：Gospel of Matthew 25.

Japanese.ver

・Chris Kyogetuの宗教と文学⑮　洗礼を受ける前、私は夢で「１０人のおとめ」の1人になった　

English.ver

In August 2014, I was baptized. However, before that, I had a dream. But prior to the dream, I had been reading the story of the ten maidens in chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. At the time, I wasn’t really concentrating—I probably just skimmed the surface of the story and didn’t grasp what it was about. I was sleepy and not paying attention, so I thought it hadn’t registered in my mind. I didn’t even remember the characters clearly, which I’m sure happens to everyone occasionally. I read it casually and closed the book. If this had been a modern literature test, it would have been fatal. That’s how little I understood.

I didn’t even think about rereading it the next day. Without any second thought, I simply wrote ‘Matthew 25’ and the last verse I had read on a post-it note, stuck it on my desk, closed the book, and went to sleep.

When I came to, I felt a heaviness, but I realized I had been woken in my dream. A man grabbed my arm and asked if I had it, or not, in a language I couldn’t identify—whether it was Japanese or another language. The lamp I was holding was about to go out, so I felt like I didn’t have it. Yet I remembered going back home to get it and bring it with me. The woman beside me laughed, but I began to think I did have it. So, I answered, “I have it.”

And indeed, I had the oil and lit the lamp. The moment the light shone, it was like a wheat field glowing under the night sky. I clearly remember that moment when the lamp was lit. It’s been ten years, so perhaps that memory isn’t entirely accurate. The night sky seemed eerie, but as soon as the light came on, I felt a sense of relief as if my life had been saved.

Together with the other women and the bridegroom, I was told, “You go in too,” and walked out of the gate. Then, behind me, I saw a few women who didn’t have oil and didn’t make it in time—they turned into shadows, unable to pass through the gate.

In the dream, I realized, “Ah, you always need to have fuel, or you won’t be saved in times of need.” While I felt elated at my salvation, I was also pained by the thought of those left behind as shadows.

When I woke up, I thought it was an unusual dream, but it quickly faded into my daily routine. When it was time to read the Bible again, I looked at the post-it note and realized that it was from the “Ten Maidens” passage I had read the night before. However, at that time, before falling asleep, I didn’t understand any of the story. Yet upon reading it again, I found that it mirrored almost exactly what I had dreamt. I thought I had grasped it better, but it never appeared in my dreams again.

A dream is not something that is supposed to be connected to another person who appears in it.

Even if the events align with true memories, a dream isn’t about spending time with others. It is a story shown to me based on my own “impressions”.

I wonder if there is truly something beyond the grasp of the conscious and unconscious mind. This is sometimes debated among different schools of psychology, but if this wasn’t the unconscious mind, it would be challenging to explain otherwise. Mystical experiences delve even deeper. For a time, I had a personal theory about why the dream interpreters like Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams in Genesis, and Daniel from the Book of Daniel appeared in the Old Testament, but seemed to disappear when Jesus came in the New Testament. However, in hindsight, I realized this theory didn’t resonate with many people（few people). That seemed like youthful thinking. Over the past ten years, I’ve come to understand that Christianity cannot sustain itself on such ‘wonders’ alone. There were times I felt it was foolish to even talk about it.

Nevertheless, the memory of this dream lingered, leaving a distinct sense of mystery in its wake. The past decade has been a journey of witnessing miracles, only to realise that such experiences alone aren’t sufficient for evangelism. There were moments of joy and others of discontent. That dream, however, left an indelible mark, prompting a sense of certainty amidst uncertainty. The miracle lies not merely in its occurrence, but in the privilege of recounting it—a story I now preserve for future telling.

The paramount lesson here is the daily commitment to the practice of Jesus’ teachings and the labour He undertook amongst people. As Benedict XVI articulated, “The Father and the Son engage in a mutual exchange of pure giving and receiving, in which both abound. This unity is their fruition, wholly one.” He further noted, “the mystery of the Trinity, in this world, must be transmuted into the mystery of the Cross.”

This profound beauty inherently encompasses suffering. The Holy Spirit, manifesting from abundance, does not solely symbolize human joy. Many believers aspire to discuss these mysteries, seeking companions to converse about the Scriptures. Yet such dialogues cannot rest on superficial enjoyment alone, for empathizing with the essence of the Trinity proves significantly challenging. Much like our experiences, which remain solitary ‘dreams,’ forging deeper connections with ‘others’ isn’t effortlessly achieved despite apparent ease in some respects. The narrative of faith, I surmise, involves the exchange of suffering, a pursuit I no longer actively seek. To comprehend each other’s faith, recognising its profound complexity, is a mature realization.

Discussing such matters amidst diverse backgrounds and destinies often brings discomfort. It’s indeed challenging to reconcile varying degrees of misfortune. A single word cannot offer salvation, though a considerate gesture might be a preliminary step towards it, with outcomes remaining perpetually uncertain. It would be disingenuous to speak of Jesus’ acts of compassion purely as sources of comfort, yet there is truth in the solace they bring. The intersection of shared poverty and mutual suffering is intensely painful. Faith, though seemingly dormant, is ever alive—requiring constant sustenance.

Until the day the unrecognised maiden and bridegroom unite, fuel is always needed.

Ten years ago, I regarded that dream as a good one. To still hold it as such implies a transformation in my heart. The vision of who I might become in another decade, when I may still say “it was a good dream,” eludes my imagination.

Reference

Benedict XVI.

https://atomic-temporary-188649724.wpcomstaging.com/2023/11/17/cahier%ef%bc%882023-11-17-%ef%bc%89english/

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2024年7月2日 0

夏目漱石「こゝろ」による愛と義（紹介のみ）

紹介

私は（筆者）「先生」をあまり美徳に捉えないようにしていて、多少、彼の生き方は太宰治のようなものを感じている。むしろ「先生」のことを見つけた「私」（登場人物）に見込みがあるという印象を受けた。先生に対する記憶の拾い方、集め方、書生である彼がおそらく人格者なんだろう。もちろん、これは「お話」なのだが、実際の人生はそうはいかない。もしも本当なら、書生の記憶の集め方が優秀なのだ。しかし、最近は一皮剥けたところがあって、客観視ができるようにはなっていて、以前ほどの没入感もなく自然に書いた気がする。内容は、夏目漱石の「こゝろ」を通して、無常の美学と、そして無常に抗う美学について触れ、Kが仏教徒だったので仏教と、そしてキリスト教として、「ファリサイ派と徴税人」を選んだ。最後は明治時代から価値観が変わっていくことに翻弄され、困惑していった背景である本作に被せるように、現代では第三者を一人称のように捉えることが、正しいと限らなくなったという、

倫理観が変わっていたことを最後に、（mob justice）カトリックの不正問題に問いを投げた。Mobの力は暴力的なところがあるが、悪とも言い切れないのもあり、公刑でどうにもならなかった人にとっては、そこで救済を得たものもがいるのも事実としてある。だからこそ、キリスト者は、そういう判断をする前に自制をしてほしいと願っている。ジャンケレヴィッチの「死」の第三者の死、を私に現代解釈として少々は足したとも思う。

ハムレット、（信仰と対立する自殺）ペレアスとメリザンド（他者からは判別つかないが本人が力尽きてしまう死）は、サロメ（登場人物が死に顔を見たくて頭部を抱えるように両手で少し持ち上げたので）自死に関しての表現を弱めるために効果として並べた。とても曖昧にしか言えないのが残念だが、メタファーは、やはり殺されたのだろうか。　

Japanese

・Chris Kyogetuの宗教と文学　⑭夏目漱石の「こゝろ」からみる愛と義　

English

https://atomic-temporary-188649724.wpcomstaging.com/2024/06/06/righteousness-according-to-soseki-natsumes-consideration-of-kokoro/

2024年6月8日 0

Righteousness according to Soseki Natsume’s consideration of ‘Kokoro’.English

・We talked of this and that. I should not have remembered the conversation at all, had it not been for the fact that in the course of it we talked of one matter which was of particular interest to me.

Sensei lived in complete obscurity.
Souseki Natume：Kokoro　Translated by Edwin McClellan

Synopsis　

Few people today would feel enthusiastic about the victory in the Russo-Japanese War. However, the death of Emperor Meiji and the suicide of General Nogi had an immeasurable impact on the Japanese people and the literature of the time. The “Sensei” in Natsume Soseki’s “Kokoro” was also inspired by these events to take his own life.

Meiji era and K

In Natsume Soseki’s novel “Kokoro,” the character known as “Sensei” also chooses to end his life following the deaths of both Emperor Meiji and General Nogi. The story’s narrator, a young man referred to as “I,” encounters a man accompanied by a Westerner at a seaside tea house in Kamakura. This man comes to be called “Sensei” by the narrator.

If you, the reader, were a teenager picking up this book without any prior knowledge, General Nogi might not occupy your thoughts much. Initially, readers are likely to be drawn in by the narrative style of “Sensei” and “I,” the youthful student. Soseki skillfully has Sensei declare early on, “I am a lonely man,” which gradually draws the lonely young readers from the shore into the deeper, darker themes of death. This exploration extends beyond the simple end of life to questions of loyalty, righteousness, the enigma of suicide, and different views on life and death. Readers are left grappling with these themes, recalling that mourning is an act of the living, and are eventually brought back to reality, likely feeling profoundly moved by the experience.

At any age, and especially when young, people seek proof of ‘love’. This is why this story is so clever. The ‘Sensei’ tells ‘me’, who doesn’t know much about love, “But do you know, that there is guilt also in loving?”

The young man is drawn to the Sensei because he wants to love, and because he is already driven by love.

The Sensei explained that this was but a preparatory step (a staircase to love). In this way, both ‘I’ and the reader come to stand on the same ground.

With this groundwork laid, the stage is set. From here, the reader descends into the section of Sensei’s ‘testament’. This novel, composed of the sections ‘Sensei and I’ and ‘My Parents and I’, features a young calligrapher as the narrator. However, the ‘Sensei’s Testament’ chapter takes us back to Sensei’s younger days. Sensei became distrustful of people after his parents died of illness, and his uncle embezzled his inheritance. Here, Sensei also articulates one truth: money changes people. He then sold his family home, leaving only his parents’ graves intact, and decided never to return to his hometown. He continued his education at Tokyo Imperial University, lodging with a military widow in his youth. He noted that the widow’s daughter, Shizu, exuded a fragrance of the opposite sex. There, both the widow and her daughter took good care of him, providing him with the best room.

Initially, he was suspicious of their kindness, but over time, he grew to trust and develop an affection for Shizu. This affection was less about sexual love and more akin to ‘faith’. While Sensei had his doubts about money, he harbored hopeful and unwavering beliefs about ‘love’. Sensei had a childhood friend named K（initial）K was the son of a temple priest but was adopted by another family on the condition that he would become a doctor by attending medical school. However, K felt that the spiritual demands of ‘devotion’ did not align with medicine, so he went to a different university, lying to his adoptive family. Eventually, the burden of this deception became too heavy for K, and he confessed the truth to his adoptive family. Naturally, K was disowned.

Sympathetic to K’s plight as he ran out of funds for his education and began to suffer a nervous breakdown, Sensei brought K to his own lodgings. K, influenced by his Buddhist upbringing, was a sincere and honest man. Therefore, it wasn’t long before he began to suspect that Sensei was becoming too friendly with Shizu. Ultimately, K confessed to Sensei that he had fallen in love with Shizu.

The Sensei wanted Shizu more than loyalty and friendship for his longtime childhood friend. So he offered to marry the young lady to her mother, without even telling Shizu directly.

The Sensei and Shizu got engaged, but he never told K. However, the young lady’s mother had already informed K about the engagement; K knew about it and talked to the Sensei in a normal way.

Then K committed suicide.

Death and Righteousness

The last part of the Sensei’s farewell letter referred to the fall of Emperor Meiji and the suicide of General Nogi. He tried to count the years during which General Nogi had contemplated suicide. But in the end, the Sensei could not understand General Nogi’s desire to commit suicide. And he left in his will that no one should understand his own death. Regarding this first-person and third-person death, the philosopher Jankélévitch described death as first-person death, second-person death, and third-person death, but this story encompasses all deaths, including suicide. As for second-person death, the Jewish rabbi Grollman says that it can take away the past, present, and future of the ‘I’. The Sensei may also have been deprived by K’s death. For us, the deaths of both Emperor Meiji and General Nogi are in the third person and psychologically distant, but Soseki nevertheless reflected the complexity of the human interior through “Kokoro”. The Sensei’s loneliness, guilt, and desire for love show that human nature remains the same, even if the historical background has changed. The Meiji era itself was a time of great change, and people’s attitudes and values were shaken.

Unlike the Christian concept of Logos—“the Word” that was with God from the beginning (John 1:1)—the Japanese notion of kotoba (言葉) does not carry the sense of a transcendent principle. Its etymology points instead to human utterance, something finite and situated at “the end of speech” rather than its divine origin. However, as Kitaro Nishida also mentioned, ‘There is something hidden in the very root of Japan, something akin to perceiving the form of the formless and hearing the voice of the voiceless,’ there exists a culture that finds beauty in impermanence and change, such as in the Tale of the Heike and Sonezaki Shinju. Therefore, when discussing Natsume Soseki, it might be desirable to view Japanese literature in light of the significance that cannot be intellectually constrained by what presently exists, keeping in mind the formless and voiceless meanings.

While there are indeed similarities between Christianity and Japanese literature in their pursuits to grasp the intangible, the barrier of language often obstructs my efforts to fully convey the concept of the transcendent God when translating Christian-related material. Nevertheless, I believe it is crucial not to equate ‘differences’ with ‘wrongness’ due to this, and I do not hold the belief that other countries are inherently superior. I see the act of incorporating the absent, the seeds sown by God, as essential for reaffirming our essence as Japanese individuals. It could be argued that we, from this side, might already be acquainted with the beauty in darkness if it seems a dark place from the other side. I take pride in understanding the beauty of the tragedy of the eight-year-old Emperor Antoku and the nun in the Tale of the Heike. Their deaths tell of what is to come, signaling the passing of time into oblivion. Despite my numerous visits to the shrine in Sonezaki, Osaka, there remains no trace of what the lovers contemplating suicide must have felt. This serves as a reminder that the vibrancy that once thrived there has not endured in the same way. This, one might say, is aesthetics.

Death is an impartial, inevitable aspect of our lives that disregards our thoughts and desires. Love, on the other hand, is subjective and mutable, adapting to individual emotions and values. Love may sometimes evoke feelings of remorse and inner turmoil. Death can be seen as a static entity, while love is dynamic and intimately personal. In ‘Kokoro,’ each character bears the burden of their own sins, with K carrying the guilt of lying about studying medicine and ultimately choosing suicide akin to Hamletesque. It remains uncertain when the Sensei contemplated confessing his sins.

Lastly, I would like to conclude by recounting the story from Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisees, convinced of their righteousness, prayed internally with self-righteousness. ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like others: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector…’ In contrast, the tax collector humbly prayed, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ Jesus regarded the repentant tax collector as righteous.

In the midst of this, it seems that the Sensei was unable to live up to any of the former Bushido morals of “righteousness, bravery, humanity, courtesy, sincerity, honor, and loyalty”. Even the young woman he married was not important to him. In terms of modern values, how selfish he was! He didn’t work, he only had assets, and he died just so he could leave his fortune to his wife.

He was like a ‘nobody’ in this world. Prophetically, this ‘floating’ existence does not seem like something from the distant past. This is because many people today are still unclear about the meaning of existence and social responsibility. And the striking phrase “Love is a crime” expresses the state of “Kokoro,” which cannot be righteous even through love, in response to General Nogi, who committed suicide following the death of Emperor Meiji.

It could be said that death is something that does not require our input or opinion. But the soul speaks to us and questions us: was K’s irrevocable, unilateral ‘death’, in the context of Adlerian psychology, an act of ‘revenge and accusation’? Or did he carry out the ‘suicide’ that the proud Hamlet refrained from committing? Or perhaps it was like Melisande in Pelleas et Melisande, dying from wounds that even a little bird might not have succumbed to. K left behind a will and then died. The Sensei attempted to reconcile K’s demise in a manner analogous to Salome holding Jokanaan’s head. The Sensei was unable to demonstrate either righteousness or courtesy from start to finish. The Sensei could not believe that K’s will truly reflected his innermost feelings. Taking solely from the will’s contents, it would seem to convey a simple message: ‘I am a weak-willed person with no prospects for the future, so I choose to end my life.’ However, the Sensei stumbled upon the added words, seemingly inscribed by K with leftover ink, saying “I should have died earlier”, which caused him much consternation.

It seemed as if the will was blaming him, saying, ‘It’s your fault,’ but in reality, it was different. while the deliberate omission of certain truths could have eroded the Sensei’s sense of self-worth. It’s possible that there existed a language only comprehensible to the Sensei, and that there seemed to be a language that only the Sensei could hear, as if the shadow of his death loomed over him.The Sensei knew that comparing himself to General Nogi was presumptuous and, realising their differences, he continued to see his own existence as lacking value. Ananda left Buddha’s teachings for later generations, but the Sensei had no means to leave anyone a reason for K’s death.

For a long time, he had kept this burden, until he decided to leave his account, the ‘will’, to just one student. Not even Sizu, whom he married, understood why her close friend K had died. Her innocent sense of isolation was transient, yet there remained a single glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty. That hope could perhaps be the young scribe reading the last testament on the train at the end. In that act, The Sensei may have finally transitioned from being an obscure individual to becoming a ‘master’ with a meaningful purpose.

I do not intend to connect the Sensei’s conscious repentance akin to that of the tax collector. His ‘death’ is not that. It seems he aimed for righteousness towards K and what could be likened to martyrdom towards the end of the Meiji era, fully aware that he was not akin to Emperor Meiji or General Nogi. Unable to discuss K even with his wife, he penned his life story to a youth who seemed lost. To me, this final act felt like a resistance against an aesthetic leaving no trace. This act of resistance could be seen as what’s ultimately beautiful. Despite declaring love as sinful, the Sensei persistently advised the young man on loving others. He seemed to insinuate that the subject of his apology would vanish. It’s a common misinterpretation among many Christians that a mere apology to God suffices, resembling the self-assured Pharisees. Shouldn’t this passage be interpreted as that Jesus does not wish for pursuits that fail to achieve righteousness? The Sensei could have shown more bravery throughout. He appeared cowardly, choosing to focus on himself rather than his wife. However, what he truly depicted is the inevitable truth that all things tangible will eventually fade away.

What is the contemporary ‘kokoro’?

An important part of addressing the challenges facing the modern Catholic Church is to listen to the complaints of victims. Calls for an apology should be seen as the voice of God and should be met with kindness and understanding. Even if the events happened decades ago, we must not trivialize them. If clergy receive criticism from believers, they should accept it as an opportunity for conversion.

In “Kokoro,” the characters are portrayed at the intersection of love and death, shifting from the first person to the second and third persons, making empathy as a third party significant in the relationship between this book and its readers. In the modern internet age, the right thing is not always received correctly.

I once translated ‘私刑’ (shikei) as ‘mob justice,’ which at the time might have been considered a mistranslation. However, recent events and public opinion have made me realize that this was not a mistake. In Japan, due to the lack of interest in Catholicism, there has been no mob punishment. However, when school teachers have committed similar acts, they have already suffered ‘private punishment,’ with their identities and photos being exposed online by mobs.

The proliferation of social networking sites has made the death and pain of others more immediate, yet the violent nature of mobs under the guise of sympathy is a significant issue. People working on the internet view this violence through the lens of “traffic.” In the future, AI may control inappropriate posts, but individual restraint will still be required.

Today, there is a growing need to distinguish oneself from others. Distant deaths should be considered irrelevant to oneself, and information about wars and disasters is often mingled with fake news, making verification difficult. Expressions of sympathy for victims can sometimes cause more harm, requiring prudence and discretion.

When you hear of someone’s death, intended kind words to the bereaved can be misunderstood and perceived as slander. In such an environment, those who can exercise self-control learn to distance themselves from others, while those who cannot may act violently as part of a mob.

Especially in the Catholic Church, it is crucial to acknowledge past sins, review doctrines and canon law, and take the lead in exercising self-control and self-discipline. We must respect the voices of the victims and understand the pain of revisiting past events. At the very least, we must not participate in any cover-up.

It is important to maintain a conscience, much like the shadow of K that haunted his Sensei. Just as Jesus acknowledged that some people are not righteous, ‘Kokoro’ includes characters ignorant of right and wrong, because the depths of the soul encompass a profound ignorance of good and evil

Everyone, always remember to be grateful for your life and the loved ones in it.

(Introduction)

– To be honest, I don’t really see the “Sensei

” as particularly virtuous, kind of like Osamu Dazai in his way of life. Instead, I got the impression that the character “I” who found the “Sensei” shows potential. The way he picks up and collects memories about the Sensei, acting practically as a disciple, suggests he’s quite a personality. Now, obviously, it’s just a story, but real life isn’t that straightforward. If it were real, then the guy’s memory-gathering skills would be impressive. However, when I lean towards more morbid themes, mistakes seem to happen more often. Recently though, I’ve become more objective and I’ve written more naturally, without the same depth of immersion as before.

In terms of content, through Natsume Soseki’s “Kokoro,” I touched on the aesthetics of impermanence and the struggle against it. Given that K was a Buddhist, I chose elements of Buddhism, and for Christianity, I picked “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector.” Ultimately, this piece reflects the confusion of changing values from the Meiji era, pointing out that in modern times, it’s no longer always right to take the perspective of a third person as if it were your own.

Finally, he addressed the issue of injustice within Catholicism, noting that ethics have changed.In Japan, there is little interest in the matter of Catholic injustice, leading to no occurrences of ‘mob justice.’ （vigilantism）However, sometimes in Japan, ‘school teachers’ who have been involved in incidents are portrayed, including their faces, on social networking sites (SNS) on the internet.While mob power is undoubtedly violent, it’s not entirely evil. There are facts supporting that some found salvation in those situations, for those who couldn’t find help through official channels. Hence, I hope Christians exercise restraint before making such judgments. I also think I’ve brought a touch of contemporary interpretation to Jankélévitch’s “Death” of the third person.

I included Hamlet（Suicide in Conflict with Faith）and Pelléas and Mélisande（Deaths Unseen by Others, Where the Individual’s Strength Fades Away），Salome (because the figure gently lifts his head with both hands, as if to hold it, to see his face in death) to temper the portrayal of suicide.

I juxtaposed these two to soften the sensational depiction of suicide. I regret that I can only express this vaguely, but I do wonder if the metaphor still holds.（I’m not sure if the metaphor is still dead.）

Japanese

・Chris Kyogetuの宗教と文学　⑭夏目漱石の「こゝろ」からみる愛と義　

＊＊＊＊

Now, as Catholics, we have become more critical of the mob and our interpretation has evolved somewhat, yet it remains the elusive ‘evil’ that many people seek. In February 2022, it was still before the assassination of former　Prime Minister Abe, and we were able to publish this article.　However, criminal psychology is one of my research interests.

https://atomic-temporary-188649724.wpcomstaging.com/2022/02/25/literature-and-mob-justic%ef%bc%88soar%e2%85%b1%ef%bc%89/

‘Mob Justice’ embodies a yearning for acknowledgment of the downtrodden and marginalized soul.

2024年6月6日 1

Annabelle Lee and Prayer English

	It was many and many a year ago,
	   In a kingdom by the sea,
	That a maiden there lived whom you may know
	   By the name of Annabel Lee;
	And this maiden she lived with no other thought
	   Than to love and be loved by me.

 Edger Allan Poe : Annabel Lee

（This is a column. Japanese version from the link below.）

I came across this poem when I was very young, and I may not have known what it meant at the time. But I liked the sound of that “Annabel Lee”. Language barriers may be insurmountable without experience and understanding, but ‘sound’ transcends them. For example, Jabberwocky in Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass is an incoherent poem because it is made up of what the author calls ‘coined words’, but you can get an idea from the rhythm of the sound and, “For example, as the protagonist Alice remarked, when she said, ‘However, somebody killed something,’ she indicated that this much could be discerned from the nonsensical poem.”

The words that stick with me in Annabel Lee are: beautiful, kingdom by the sea, angel, demon, “Of the beautiful Annabel Lee” Even if it was in Japanese, that was enough for me, because each word has a ‘synesthesia’, but as I learn to understand English, I can tell that the poem is from a male perspective and that a girl, the beautiful Annabel Lee, has died. Then,as you develop a deeper appreciation for literature, you get to know the background of this poetic sentiment. We learn that this reflects the author Poe’s love for his first wife, Virginia.

I found that it reminds me of Novalis, the German writer and poet who died young. He too lost the love of his life at a young age; however, he was unable to complete what Freud called his ‘work of mourning’ (Trauerarbeit) — making peace with death to continue living in this world and prioritizing the living over the dead. For a long time, I had no doubt that Annabel Lee was such a poem. However, when I learned that Poe was engaged to another woman in the year the poem was written, and later died under suspicious circumstances, I simply thought it was not Novalisian, my mind lost its consistency, and the poem’s significance gradually diminished for me.

One rainy day, I went to my usual English Mass. Despite using an umbrella, both my clothes and hair got wet. Before Mass started, we said the rosary. Perhaps distracted by the droplets trickling down my hair, or perhaps subconsciously drawn to the notion of ‘water,’ I accidentally said “Kingdom by the sea” when we reached the word ‘Kingdom’. That phrase is from Poe’s poem. However, this slip of the tongue made me realize something. It dawned on me that the use of ‘kingdom’ in that poem was inherently Christian. ‘Thy kingdom come,’ where ‘thy’ is an archaic form of ‘you,’ translates to ‘adveniat regnum tuum’ in Latin.

In Latin ‘adveniat regnum tuum’, ‘adveniat’ is a conjunction, it does not mean ‘I’ or ‘you’, but expresses the desire for something ‘One’ to come; regum corresponds to dominion, sovereignty, to . This is a passage in which we pray that the world we live in may be reached by the Lord, if we were to put it ‘safely’ according to Japanese values.

After we die, while we imagine moving from this world to the heavenly kingdom (heaven), for those of us still living, ‘come’ is a prayer for God to turn towards us. I realized that the ‘kingdom’ in Poe’s poem represents a seaside cemetery, a site desiring God’s gaze.

There appears to be another true American story that served as inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe’s poem ‘Annabel Lee’, details of which were published in a newspaper two days after Poe’s death.　The tale unfolds as follows: a young woman and a sailor, lovers despite differing social status, clandestinely met in a cemetery. Tragically, the maiden passed away. Her father refused to disclose the cemetery’s location to the sailor. Despite this, the sailor, who cherished her, persistently sought out her grave.

In his book ‘Departure from Love and Recognition,’ Japanese writer Kurata Hyakuso wrote: ‘I felt that I could not do without the soul that embraced me.’Kurata was in his twenties when he wrote this, and I believe it serves as a good example of poetry’ love.”

However, love alone is not enough. To actualize love, ‘sensation’ is necessary, requiring sensitivity.

I have always regarded ‘susceptibility’ and ‘gift’ as equivalent. Love inherently has an object, yet Confirming the ‘existence’ of sensitivity is not achieved by holding hands with someone or by asking someone. It simply resides within the heart, at a crossroads between being deemed ‘nature’ or a ‘gift’（god). While the two are inseparable, labeling susceptibility as ‘sacred to oneself alone’ leads to inherent contradictions. As Poe’s poetry illuminates, the vitality of susceptibility is rooted in its empathy on ‘others’, and should they neglect it, it risks withering into obscurity.

In Christianity, especially Catholicism, including the Catechism and Balthasar’s theology, faith involves more than just individual sensitivity and experience—it’s also about being rooted in the Church, society, and community. This point is often misunderstood; it does not imply depriving individuals of their sensitivity. When considering non-religion, a question arises: does it truly safeguard individual sensitivity? One advantage of non-religion is the freedom it offers from church involvement and the obligation to return one’s ‘gifts’ to God. Moreover, regardless of whether Jesus existed, the need for societal appreciation, contribution, and the necessity for a writer to present their work to society raise a question about ‘expropriation.’ What is the difference between being appropriated solely by secular standards and having one’s soul achieve something that is returned to God? This distinction is significant in the context of faith.

Well，See the end of Poe’s poem.

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

The poem prominently features refrains and a rhyme scheme toward its conclusion. Refrains like ‘Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE;’ and ‘Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,’ emphasize the poem’s rhythmic and emotional depth. The rhyme pairs ‘dreams’ and ‘Lee’, ‘rise’ and ‘eyes’, ‘side’ and ‘bride’, and ‘sea’ and ‘sea’, reinforcing the auditory harmony and the poem’s meter. These grammatical elements are distinctive of Poe’s style, lending unique sound and rhythm to his poetry.

In the poem, the narrator lies ‘till dawn’ beside ‘Annabel Lee’s’ grave, located in a ‘kingdom by the sea.’ The imagery of the sea’s tide, coming and going, mirrors the words ‘bride’ and by the ‘side’. The choice to call the seaside tomb a ‘kingdom’ suggests Poe’s intention to portray it as a divine meeting place, a ‘kingdom’ awaiting God’s arrival, akin to a prayer invocation. Despite its melancholic tone, resonating with the essence of death, the poem is imbued with enduring love and happiness.

The ambiguity of both the girl and the narrator in the poem, with neither fully understanding who they are, realistically portrays the process of forgetting a love. In a state of being emotionally enveloped—or ‘soul-hugging’—such poetry could not be written. Instead, a more direct expression of love would likely emerge. The poem starts with ‘It was many and many a year ago…’, indicating a psychological distance, suggesting it represents a fading memory. Poe’s first wife, Virginia, was mentally handicapped and only 13 years old at their marriage. He also wrote hymns to Catholicism. Given these few circumstances, it’s difficult to ascertain his faith, especially since he left much mystery about his own awareness of impending death while loving and proposing to another woman. Yet, his attempt to preserve these feelings in his poetry might be considered a mysterious kind of ‘expropriation’.

Why do we discuss human love, or recite poetry? Why does human love prompt such associations?

The best proof of love’s existence could be two people hand in hand, living in their own small world without any divine intervention—surely a sweet existence. However, the body is not eternal; both ‘existence’ and consciousness fade and vanish. It is sensitivity that may light this reality on fire. And whether noble or impoverished, a couple in love eventually becomes ‘a story from long ago’. If, in realizing their disappearance, the couple sleeps in a ‘kingdom’, would that not equate to an eternity with God? It seems this was even the girl’s wish.

In the realm of literature, there resides a soul of a microcosm. Even for Catholics, the words of their prayers are repeated together with the remnants of souls left behind.

Because it has been recited by so many, it has become a prayer returning to God.

*Annabel Lee is said to have been modelled on his first wife, Virginia, who is the most likely candidate, but The actual model is not certain, as it was often sad for Poe to meet and part with women.

*There was a story that the story of the sailor and the girl was published in a newspaper during a competition in London, but no reliable source has now been found.
Similarly, we asked if Virginia was mentally handicapped, but could not find a reliable source.

*Balthasar’s theology attributes obedience to Christ to the authority of God manifested in the claims of Jesus.
Claim – poverty – expropriation – obedience to the cross Claim – poverty – ‘expropriation’ – obedience to the cross is the axis of his theology.

＊Parable of the Talantons: Matthew 25:14-29.

Japanese

コラム

Annabel Lee　by. Edger Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love—

I and my Annabel Lee—

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

Went envying her and me—

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we—

Of many far wiser than we—

And neither the angels in Heaven above

Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea—

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Our father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be

thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our

daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us

not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

2024年4月30日 0

Cahier/2024/04/16　English

Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge / by Rainer Maria Rilke

Original text

①Und ich war es in der Tat. Ich war beschäftigt, ihn mir vorzustellen, ich unternahm die Arbeit, ihn einzubilden, und der Schweiß trat mir aus vor Anstrengung. Denn ich mußte ihn machen, wie man einen Toten macht, für den keine Beweise mehr da sind, keine Bestandteile; der ganz und gar innen zu leisten ist. Ich weiß jetzt, daß es mir ein wenig half, an die vielen abgenommenen Christusse aus steifigem Elfenbein zu denken, die bei allen Althändlern herumliegen. Der Gedanke an irgendeine Pietà trat vor und ab –: dies alles wahrscheinlich nur, um eine gewisse Neigung hervorzurufen, in der sein langes Gesicht sich hielt, und den trostlosen Bartnachwuchs im Wangenschatten und die endgültig schmerzvolle Blindheit seines verschlossenen Ausdrucks, der schräg aufwärts gehalten war.

②Ich wußte sofort, daß meine Vorstellung wertlos war. Die durch keine Vorsicht oder Verstellung eingeschränkte Hingegebenheit seines Elends übertraf meine Mittel.

（Zeitungsverkäufer）

③Ich will nur sagen, daß sie an ihm waren wie das Weicheste auf eines Vogels Unterseite. Er selbst hatte keine　Lust daran, und wer von allen (ich sah mich um) durfte meinen, dieser Staat wäre um seinetwillen?

④Mein Gott, fiel es mir mit Ungestüm ein, so bist du also. Es gibt Beweise für deine Existenz. Ich habe sie alle vergessen und habe keinen je verlangt, denn welche ungeheuere Verpflichtung läge in deiner Gewißheit. Und doch, nun wird mir’s gezeigt. Dieses ist dein Geschmack, hier hast du Wohlgefallen. Daß wir doch lernten, vor allem aushalten und nicht urteilen. Welche sind die schweren Dinge? Welche die gnädigen? Du allein weißt es. Wenn es wieder Winter wird und ich muß einen neuen Mantel haben, – gib mir, daß ich ihn so trage, solang er neu ist.

⑤Es ist nicht, daß ich mich von ihnen unterscheiden will, wenn ich in besseren, von Anfang an meinigen Kleidern herumgehe und darauf halte, irgendwo zu wohnen. Ich bin nicht soweit.

English translation

①And indeed it was myself. I was busy imagining him, I undertook the work of imagining him, and sweat broke out on me with exertion. For I had to create him, as one creates a dead man, for whom there is no longer any evidence, no components; to be entirely accomplished within. I now know that it helped me a little to think of the many detached Christs made of stiff ivory lying around at all the antique dealers.The thought of some Pietà came and went -: all this probably only to evoke a certain inclination in which his long face held itself, and the desolate growth of beard in the shadow of his cheeks, and the final painful blindness of his closed expression, held obliquely upwards.

②I knew immediately that my representation was worthless. The unbounded surrender of his misery, unrestricted by caution or pretense, exceeded my capabilities.

③I only want to say that they were on him like the softest thing on a bird’s underside. He himself had no desire for it, and who among all (I looked around) could think that this state was for his sake?

④My God, it occurred to me with impetuosity, so this is how you are. There is evidence of your existence. I have forgotten them all and have never asked for any, for what a tremendous obligation would lie in your certainty.And yet, now it is revealed to me. This is your preference, here you find delight. If only we could learn to endure above all and not judge. What are the burdensome things? What are the merciful ones? You alone know. When winter comes again and I must have a new coat – grant me that I may wear it so long as it is new.

⑤It’s not that I want to differentiate myself from them when I walk around in better clothes that are truly mine from the beginning and insist on settling somewhere. I am not that far yet.

Consideration

If I were to introduce him, I would say that he is not a philosopher or a theologian, but a poet. It wouldn’t be enough to simply say he is a poet from the beginning. It is through these denials that the true value of being a poet emerges. Rainer Maria Rilke, in my opinion, is such a person.

Although I have not yet reached a conclusion, the theological and philosophical inquiries raised by the quotations (1) to (5) remain unanswered.

This is Rilke’s autobiographical work, but it appears as if he is writing “in disguise” as the character Marthe. However, this is also a creative piece with an underlying confessional aspect. He acknowledges that he perceives God (Jesus Christ) in a state of poverty, yet he confesses that he is unprepared for the unimaginable life of a newspaperman. Simultaneously, he raises questions about the Kantian notion of representation, suggesting that it is an essential faculty for comprehending external objects, but also viewing it as an activity of the individual subjective mind rather than an independent existence separate from the object.

Descartes attempted to provide a logical proof for the existence of God, while Kant argued that existence cannot be deduced solely from concepts, emphasizing the significance of “faith” (practical principles). In Christian theology, specifically without aligning to any particular denomination, “Vorstellung” refers to the concrete concepts and images that individuals hold about God, often associated with the concept of “Form.” For instance, in Catholicism, “Form” represents the embodiment or essential qualities of God’s divinity. Additionally, the emphasis lies on the incarnation, sacraments, and the recognition of the unseen mysteries concealed beneath the “visible.” Despite this ambivalence, Rilke acknowledges the limitations of capturing the representations of Christ and Mary in the Pietà as a questioning of existing religions.Rilke, although embracing this dual nature, expressed the poetic sensibility of one dressed in his Sunday best in modest attire, bearing the weight of profound responsibility in confirming the presence of God. （Mein Gott, fiel es mir mit Ungestüm ein, so bist du also ）Nevertheless, Rilke personally encountered a sensation of connection between God and the world.

He seeks to explore the existence of God and delve into the experience of limits（Grenze）, but this is done as a poet, confessing his fear of becoming impoverished. What were the limits for Rilke?

An antique statue of Christ, Mary of Pietà with historical value, keeping one feeling like wearing a new coat, the expensive clothes of the poor, the life of an unnamed bird?

Rilke does not explicitly define them as “poetry,” but rather portrays them in a sincere manner as the ascent and descent of the “soul,” which cannot be directly described by philosophy and theology.

＊＊＊＊

*Grenze, also explored by philosophers such as Kant and Hegel, are also pursued theologically by Bonhoeffer.

＊This is a thoughtful note. There are no answers.
If you have any comments on the translation, please write them in the comments section.

Thank you

2024年4月16日 0

Cahier/2024/04/16

Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke

原文　マルテ・ラウリス・ブリッゲの手記（ライナー・マリア・リルケ著）

②Ich wußte sofort, daß meine Vorstellung wertlos war. Die durch keine Vorsicht oder Verstellung eingeschränkte Hingegebenheit seines Elends übertraf meine Mittel.

（Zeitungsverkäufer）

⑤Es ist nicht, daß ich mich von ihnen unterscheiden will, wenn ich in besseren, von Anfang an meinigen Kleidern herumgehe und darauf halte, irgendwo zu wohnen. Ich bin nicht soweit.

日本語訳

①事実、すぐに僕のアイデアに価値がないことはすぐにわかってしまった。それはまさに僕のことだったのだ。僕は彼（新聞売り）を想像し、彼を想像する作業に忙殺され、その努力に汗をかいてしまった。もはや証明することができない。完全に構成することができない、内面だけで演じていく死人を創りだすように、私は彼を創りださなければなかったからだ。十字架から剥離したキリスト像が、老舗の古美術商に沢山転がっているのを思い出すと、少しは救われたような気がした。ピエタのようなものが浮かんでは消えるのだ。このようなことが起こったのは、おそらく、キリストの長い顔、頬の影に生えた無精髭、斜め上を向いて打ち解けられない表情に宿る痛々しい盲目を呼び冷ますものだったのだろう。

（この文は、著者が自分自身の創造力について話しています。彼は、努力を重ねて死者のような存在を創造しようとしており、そのために多くの労力を費やしています。彼は、自分の創造物が完全に内面化されるよう努めており、それには多くの苦労が伴います。その過程で、老舗の古美術商でよく見かける硬質象牙製のキリスト像を思い浮かべることが自分の創造力を少しでも助けると気付いたようです。彼はピエタ（母マリアがイエスの遺体を抱きかかえる絵画や彫刻のこと）という概念も思い浮かべていますが、それは彼の創造物への傾斜を引き起こすための手段の一つであり、キリスト像の特徴を具体化させるための材料であるようです）

②すぐに気づいたことだけれども、僕の表象にはなんの意味もなかった。警戒心や見せかけにとらわれない彼（新聞売り）の不幸に身を任せている様は、私がどんな（想像）を使っても理解できなかった。

③僕が言いたいのは、その彼は鳥の腹部（下半身）にある最も柔らかいもののようだということだ。彼自身はそれを望んでいなかったし、（私は周囲を見回したが）この状態が彼のためだと考えられる人がいるだろうか？

④神よ、そこにあなたの存在を証明するものがあったのですね。僕は、そんなことをすっかり忘れてしまったし、それを求めたりしたこともなかった。しかし今、それが私に示されている。これがあなたのご意志であり、あなたはこんな風に満足をし、喜んでいるところです。私たちが学ぶべきことは、何よりも、耐え忍び、裁かないこと。それが、どれほど苦痛なことなのか？どれが優美なことなのか？その慈悲深いことは、あなただけが知っている。また再び冬が来て、新しいコートが必要な時でも、新しいままでいさせてください。

⑤もともと僕のものであった、ましな良い服を着て歩き、どこかで暮らそうと考える時、私は、彼等ほどになれないのです。僕は彼らのような生活をする心の準備ができないのです。

＊彼とはここに引用は載せなかったが貧しい新聞売りのことである。

＊日本語版未読

考察

彼は哲学者でもなく、神学者でもなく「詩人」だ。と紹介するのなら、初めから「詩人」と言ってしまえばいいのかと言えばそうではない。これらを経由してこそ、飛び抜けた価値として「詩人」というものは存在する。ライナー・マリア・リルケとは私の中でそのような人物だと思う。

今回引用した①〜⑤から、神学的、そして哲学的に疑問は残しつつも結論までは至っていない。

これはリルケ自身の自伝的なものであるが、マルテという人物に「成りすまして」書いているように思える。しかし、それも創作の一つであり、「告白」という裏の面も持っている。彼は神というもの（イエス・キリスト）が貧しい存在にあると気づいていが、新聞売りへの想像のつかない生活に心の準備ができていないと告白しているのである。それと同時に、神への存在証明としての疑問を、抱いているが、それはカント的（Vorstellung：表象）で、外界の対象を理解するための必要不可欠な能力とし、この能力は個々の主観的な心の活動であると同時に、対象とは独立して存在するものではないという見方を持っているようだ。デカルトは神の存在証明を推論しようとしたが、カントは概念から存在は導けないものとし、「信仰」（実践的原理）を重視した。キリスト教神学では、（宗派を特に定めない）Vorstellungとは、より具体的には人が神に関する概念やイメージを持つことを指し、Form（形）とも結びつくようになる。例えばカトリックでは、神の形態または神の本質的な資質や神性を表すものとして、Formとする。次に、受肉、秘蹟と、「目に見えるもの」の裏に隠された「見えない神秘」を重視する。リルケはこの両義的な面を持ちながらも、既存の宗教への疑問としてキリスト像やピエタのマリアという表象を捉えきれないとしている。詩人としての感性として、

Mein Gott, fiel es mir mit Ungestüm ein, so bist du also. （神はそこにいる）と記した。貧しい新聞売りの、一張羅の姿から、神の存在の確信には膨大な責任が伴うと考える。それでも、リルケは神と世間が接触する感覚を味わった。

純粋に存在する神を探究し、境界（Grenze）を経験をしようとするが、それは詩人としてであり、

　自分が貧しくなることへの恐れも告白している。リルケにとっての境界とはなんだったのか、

それは骨董品のキリスト像、歴史的価値のあるピエタのマリア、新品のコートを着たような気分でい続けること、貧しい人の高価な服、名も知らない鳥の生命とでもいうのか、

　それこそ「詩」として含みを持たながら定めてはいないが、哲学や神学が直接的に書くことができない「魂」の上昇や下降というものを素直に描いている。

＊境界（Grenze）は、カント、ヘーゲルなどの哲学者も扱っているが、ボンヘッファーも

　神学的に追求している。

これは考察ノートです。明確な答えがあるものではありませんが、翻訳など指摘がありましたら、コメント欄に教示をお願いします。

2024年4月16日 0

Koizumi Yakumo’s ‘The Reconciliation’.English.ver

When did you come back to Kyōto? How did you find your way here to me, through all those black rooms?"
Koizumi Yakumo's 'The Reconciliation'.

(この記事は英訳のみです）日本語は別サイト掲載のコラムとなります。→

There are various accounts of how Lafcadio Hearn, also known as Koizumi Yakumo, lost the vision in his left eye. Some claim that a rope from a swinging carousel struck his eye, while others attribute it to a cricket incident. What is clear is that he lost his father at a young age, struggled to fit in at Catholic school, and always concealed his blind left eye by keeping his head down. He wrote a story that goes like this.　 A young samurai was impoverished by the fall of his lord. The woman he took as his wife was beautiful and kind, but he began to think that he wanted to marry a more respectable woman from a more respectable family and rise in the world. So he left his wife and took a new one, and achieved the position he longed for, but all he could think of was his former wife in Kyoto. Years went by, and when the term of his master, the provincial governor, expired, this man again selfishly left even his new wife and went to Kyoto to see his former wife. His former wife’s house was so dilapidated that it seemed uninhabitable, but when he reached her favourite room, the light was on and she was sewing.　

“When did you come back to Kyōto? How did you find your way here to me, through all those black rooms?”The woman greeted the man who had abandoned her, still as beautiful as the memories she held of him.

The man acknowledged his past mistakes and asked the woman to forgive him. The woman showed no sign of anger and quickly accepted the man, saying that he had left because he was ‘poor’ and that she was ‘happy’ with the time he had spent with him. The man decided that he would no longer be with anyone but her and lay down on the floor. The man and woman talked all night to make up for the time they had been apart. The man felt satisfied with their conversation and eventually fell asleep. However, when he woke up in the morning, he was shocked to find himself in a dilapidated mansion. He realized that the woman he thought he had been talking to was, sadly, a rotting corpse.

When the man pretended to be a stranger to his neighbour and asked “what had happened to his wife’s house”he person questioned said.”It used to belong to the wife of a Samurai who left the city several years ago. He divorced her in order to marry another woman before he went away; and she fretted a great deal, and so became sick. She had no relatives in Kyōto, and nobody to care for her; and she died in the autumn of the same year,—on the tenth day of the ninth month….”

The death of his wife represents the transience of this world. The critic Kobayashi Hideo wrote: ‘Because memories rescue us from becoming mere animals.’ This young samurai, being self-centered, also abandons his wife for the sake of his career, but he suffers from it and longs for the beautiful memories, thinking he can regain them. However, he comes to understand the impermanence when he realizes that his wife has long since become a rotting corpse. This is how I came to know the transience of the world. In contrast to transience, this could be called grace in Christian terms, as some people die without having the chance to learn about impermanence.

There is an anecdote in Buddhism that when the Buddha entered Vesali, he became aware of the rapid decline of life. However, he was willing to live beyond the normal human lifespan by divine power if his disciples and the people desired it. He told Ananda that he would live longer and serve others−if only they truly wished it.However, Ananda seemed somewhat preoccupied. He could not understand the Buddha’s true intentions. Apparently, an evil spirit had attached itself to Ananda, and his mind was being deceived by it. Upon seeing Ananda’s attitude, the Buddha decided to enter Nirvana after three months.

Just as the young samurai in the story chose to leave his beloved wife for his own benefit, so Arnanda remained selfish and did not try to understand the Buddha’s true intentions. It is this selfishness that hinders the understanding of impermanence. Koizumi Yakumo’s blindness in his left eye signifies loss and absence, while simultaneously reminding us of the ever-changing nature of things. He likely wanted to leave behind the ‘moment’ of his first wife’s life, which he had to cherish.

People tend to realize the importance of something after they have lost it and often forget their responsibilities. We must be prepared to understand the extent of our betrayal towards others.

However, I chose this story because this woman waited for her husband even while she was a ‘phantom’ (ayakashi). Some of the ghosts in Yakumo’s ‘Ghost Stories and Strange Tales’ are stories of demons who have become evil spirits. The woman had a tragic fate like that of Gretchen in Goethe’s Faust or Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, mentally trapped but devoted. It may be true that true beauty and eternal love reside in the soul, as the Lord said to Samuel in the Old Testament: “For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). The being that became a phantom was not embellished or poisoned by “time”, but in a preserved state, “reconciled” with the man who abandoned her and remained in the world. The shadow of the phantom was there to remind the samurai of the impermanence of the world. Love encompasses feelings of jealousy and attachment, but it also possesses a selfless aspect that is not solely driven by personal gain and selfish desires.Therefore, love is always seeking direction as it carries significance for the soul.To others, this phantom may seem pathetic. Yet this is why it may bring grace to places overlooked by human perception.

“To me, this story was a delicate gear—driven by love, memory, and loss..”

Note on Koizumi Yakumo:
Born as Lafcadio Hearn in 1850, Koizumi Yakumo was a writer of Greek-Irish descent who later naturalized as Japanese. His blindness in one eye, troubled youth, and eventual fascination with Japanese folklore deeply informed his ghost stories. Though rooted in Buddhism and Shinto traditions, Yakumo’s work often reflected a universal longing for grace, memory, and the unseen. His vision—both physical and literary—remains a powerful lens through which impermanence and devotion continue to resonate.

2024年3月31日 0

Cahier 2024/03/25 English


Und leider auch Theologie Durchaus studiert, mit heißem Bemühn. Da steh' ich nun, ich armer Tor, Und bin so klug als wie zuvor!　And, alas, I studied theology too, with great zeal. Here I stand, poor fool, and am as wise as before!
Goethe, 'Faust'：Der Tragödie erster Teil Nacht

I. Die teure Gnade（2）Nachfloge:Dietrich Bonhoeffer

・Aus der Rechtfertigung des Sünders in der Welt wurde die Rechtfertigung der Sünde und der Welt. Aus der teuren Gnade wurde die billige Gnade ohne Nachfolge.

・Sagte Luther, daß unser Tun umsonst ist,・・

Die Erkenntnis der Gnade war für ihn der letzte radikale Bruch mit der Sünde seines Lebens, niemals aber ihre Rechtfertigung. Sie war im Ergreifen der Vergebung die letzte radikale Absage an das eigenwillige Leben, sie war darin selbst erst eigentlich ernster Ruf zur Nachfolge. Sie war ihm jeweils „Resultat“, freilich göttliches, nicht menschliches Resultat. Dieses Resultat aber wurde von den Nachfahren zur prinzipiellen Voraussetzung einer Kalkulation gemacht. Darin lag das ganze Unheil. Ist Gnade das von Christus selbst ge-schenkte „Resultat“ christlichen Lebens, so ist dieses Leben keinen Augenblick dispensiert von der Nachfolge. Ist aber Gnade prinzipielle Voraussetzung meines christlichen Lebens, so habe ich damit im voraus die Rechtfertigung meiner Sünden, die ich im Leben in der Welt tue. Ich kann nun auf diese Gnade hin sündigen, die Welt ist ja im Prinzip durch Gnade gerechtfertigt. Ich bleibe daher in meiner bürgerlich-weltlichen Existenz wie bisher, es bleibt alles beim alten, und ich darf sicher sein, daß mich die Gnade Gottes bedeckt. Die ganze Welt ist unter dieser Gnade „christlich“ geworden, das Christentum aber ist unter dieser Gnade in nie dagewesener Weise zur Welt geworden.

・Wenn Faust am Ende seines Lebens in der Arbeit an der Erkenntnis sagt: „Ich sehe, daß wir nichts wissen können“, so ist das Resultat, und etwas durchaus anderes, als wenn dieser Satz von einem Studenten im ersten Semester über-nommen wird, um damit seine Faulheit zu rechtfertigen (Kierkegaard). Als Resultat ist der Satz wahr, als Voraussetzung ist er Selbstbetrug. Das bedeutet, daß eine Erkenntnis nicht getrennt werden kann von der Existenz, in der sie gewonnen ist. Nur wer in der Nachfolge Jesu im Verzicht auf alles, was er hatte, steht, darf sagen, daß er allein aus Gnaden gerecht werde.

English translation

・

Luther said that our actions are in vain.・・・etc

The recognition of grace was for him the final radical break with the sin of his life, but never its justification. In seizing forgiveness, it was the final radical renunciation of the self-willed life, and therein itself truly a serious call to discipleship.It was always a “result” for him, a divine result, not a human one. However, this result was turned by his descendants into a fundamental precondition for their calculations.

If grace is the “result” of Christian life given by Christ Himself, then this life is not exempt from discipleship for a single moment. But if grace is the fundamental prerequisite of my Christian life, then I already have the justification of my sins that I commit in my life in the world beforehand. I can now sin in light of this grace; after all, the world is justified in principle by grace.

So I remain in my bourgeois-worldly existence as before, everything stays the same, and I can be certain that God’s grace covers me. The whole world has become “Christian” under this grace, but Christianity, under this grace, has become the world in an unprecedented way.

・

When Faust, at the end of his life, says in his work on knowledge: “I see that we cannot know anything”, the result is quite different from when this sentence is adopted by a student in his first semester to justify his laziness (Kierkegaard). As a result the sentence is true, as a premise it is self-deception. This means that an insight cannot be separated from the existence in which it is gained. Only those who follow Jesus by renouncing everything they had can say that they are justified by grace alone.

＊Kierkegaard was also a Faust scholar.

Consideration

In this text, Bonhoeffer focuses his discussion on ‘grace’. According to him, ‘grace’ is described as the ultimate deliverance from his sins and a sincere call to follow him for its bestowal. However, he points out the problem of his descendants merely accepting this ‘grace’ through rational calculation. Many Christians assume that ‘grace’ forgives sins and act as if they can continue to sin. By doing so, they assure the world of being protected by God’s grace. It is mentioned that the entire world has become ‘Christian’, but as a result, it has become more secular than ever before.

The understanding of God’s grace is described as his final radical conversion and decisive break with the sins of life.

The main clause “When Faust at the end of his life says in the work of knowledge” is the previous sentence.

“Gnade als Voraussetzung ist billigste Gnade; Gnade als Resultat teure Gnade. Es ist erschreckend, zu erkennen, was daran liegt, in welcher Weise eine Es ist dasselbe Wort von der Rechtfertigung aus Gnaden allein; und doch führt der falsche Gebrauch desselben Satzes zur vollkommenenen Zerstörung seines Wesens.”

It corresponds to. Grace is the cheapest grace, and the grace that follows is a costly grace. Understanding what lies behind the way Christian truth is stated and used can be surprising. It has been equated with justification by grace alone (justificatio). But the wrong use of the same word leads to the complete destruction of its essence.

Thought

Some clergy argue that in Catholicism, “forgiveness” and rituals are more important than Lutheranism. There are many prominent priests who currently avoid discussing the issue of deceitful clergy. They often present superficial and empty statements, despite their growing influence. The same can be said for the faithful who reflect on these matters. It is a sin to not pay attention to the essence of things and this group paralysis affects these victims. They should realize that they are depriving themselves of faith.

Even in Catholicism, Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Constitution Paschite Glegem Dei, has made the observance of disciplinary penalties an obligation that cannot be separated from pastoral duties. Specifically, the responsibility for correctly applying these penalties lies with the pastor and the superior of each community. I can only lament the Church’s continuous tolerance and “wait-and-see” attitude towards the shameful acts and offenses committed in the sacrament of absolution that have been revealed this time.　Bonhoeffer’s emphasis on the relationship between knowledge and being, faith and action, and his assertion that true knowledge is connected to liberation from self-deception; could this also be applicable to Catholicism?

reference

“From an actual lawsuit in Japan:

“A victimized woman shares her real name and confesses, having believed in “being saved from suffering by following the priest,” the approximately five years of “sexual violence” she endured from a Chilean priest in the Catholic Church and the unjust actions of the religious order.””

：2024/3/15の週刊女性Prime

https://www.jprime.jp/articles/-/31182?page=5

・改「司祭から繰り返し性暴力」‐女性信者が神言会に損害賠償求める裁判始まる・第二回は3月11日、東京地裁の第606号法廷で。傍聴自由。

I quickly wrote down the details for the moving process this time as well.

Cahier 2024/03/14　

2024年3月25日 0

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あとがき

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Possession

Author’s Note

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１現象学的視点からの分析

２父親と著者について現象学考察

３平家物語とロザリオ

４「あなたは誰の息子なのか？」――問いの二重性

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Ⅶ. The Labourer and Poetry: Jesus Christ, ed

Ⅷ. Reflections

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Ⅵ.「労働者と詩」イエス・キリスト編

Ⅶ.考察

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Ⅰ.Introduction

Ⅱ.Premonition

Ⅲ .Turning Points and Contradictions

Ⅳ ouvrière and ouvrier

Ⅴ The labourer and Poetry’ (1) Plato, ed.

Continued in ‘Labour and Poetry (2): The Christ Edition.

共有:

Ⅰ. はじめに

Ⅱ.予感

Ⅲ 転回と矛盾

Ⅳ.ouvrièreとouvrier

Ⅴ .「労働者と詩」（１）プラトン編

「労働者と詩」（２）イエス・キリスト編に続く。

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Japanese.ver

English.ver

Reference

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紹介

Japanese

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Synopsis

Meiji era and K

Death and Righteousness

What is the contemporary ‘kokoro’?

(Introduction)

Japanese

＊＊＊＊

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Japanese

Annabel Lee by. Edger Allan Poe

Our father

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Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge / by Rainer Maria Rilke

Original text

English translation

Consideration

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Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke

原文 マルテ・ラウリス・ブリッゲの手記（ライナー・マリア・リルケ著）

日本語訳

考察

共有:

共有:

I. Die teure Gnade（2）Nachfloge:Dietrich Bonhoeffer

English translation

Consideration

Thought

reference

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blogRanking

Blog Link

Ⅷ. Reflections　

Ⅶ.考察　

Ⅳ　ouvrière and ouvrier

Ⅴ The labourer and Poetry’ (1) Plato, ed.　

Ⅲ 　転回と矛盾

Ⅴ .「労働者と詩」（１）プラトン編　

Synopsis　

Annabel Lee　by. Edger Allan Poe

原文　マルテ・ラウリス・ブリッゲの手記（ライナー・マリア・リルケ著）