The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar - Iseult Gillespie
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0:07 - 0:12In ancient Kyoto, a devout Shinto scholar
lived a simple life, -
0:12 - 0:16but he was often distracted
from his prayers by the bustling city. -
0:16 - 0:19He felt that his neighbors
were polluting his soul, -
0:19 - 0:23and he sought to perform
some kind of personal harae— -
0:23 - 0:27a purification ritual that would cleanse
his body and his mind. -
0:27 - 0:32He decided to travel
to the revered Hie Shrine. -
0:32 - 0:35The trip was an arduous climb
that took all day. -
0:35 - 0:39But he was glad for the solitude
it afforded him, -
0:39 - 0:43and the peace he felt upon returning
home was profound. -
0:43 - 0:48The scholar was determined to maintain
this clarity for as long as possible, -
0:48 - 0:53and resolved to make this pilgrimage
another 99 times. -
0:53 - 0:59He would walk the path alone, ignoring
any distractions in his quest for balance, -
0:59 - 1:01and never straying from his purpose.
-
1:01 - 1:06The man was true to his word,
and as days stretched into weeks, -
1:06 - 1:09he walked through driving rain
and searing sun. -
1:09 - 1:14Over time, his devotion revealed
the invisible world of spirits -
1:14 - 1:17which exists alongside our own.
-
1:17 - 1:21He began to sense the kami,
which animated the rocks underfoot, -
1:21 - 1:27the breeze that cooled him,
and the animals grazing in the fields. -
1:27 - 1:31Still he spoke to no one, spirit or human.
-
1:31 - 1:34He was determined to avoid contact
with those who had strayed -
1:34 - 1:38from the path
and become polluted with kegare. -
1:38 - 1:42This taboo of defilement hung over
the sick and deceased, -
1:42 - 1:47as well as those who defiled the land
or committed violent crimes. -
1:47 - 1:51Of all of the threats to the scholar’s
quest for spiritual purity, -
1:51 - 1:54kegare was by far the greatest.
-
1:54 - 1:58After paying his respects
for the 80th time, -
1:58 - 2:00he set out for home once more.
-
2:00 - 2:06But as darkness fell, he heard
strained sobs in the night air. -
2:06 - 2:10The scholar tried to push forward
and ignore the moans. -
2:10 - 2:14But the desperate cries overwhelmed him.
-
2:14 - 2:19Grimacing, he left his path
to follow the sound to its source. -
2:19 - 2:25He soon came to a cramped cottage,
with a woman crumpled outside. -
2:25 - 2:29Filled with pity, the scholar implored
the woman to share her sorrow. -
2:29 - 2:33She explained
that her mother had just died— -
2:33 - 2:36but no one would help her with the burial.
-
2:36 - 2:39At that news, his heart sank.
-
2:39 - 2:42Touching the body would defile his spirit,
-
2:42 - 2:46draining his life force and leaving
him forsaken by the kami. -
2:46 - 2:51But as he listened to her cries,
his sympathy soared. -
2:51 - 2:54And so, they buried
the old woman together, -
2:54 - 2:59to ensure her safe passage
into the spirit world. -
2:59 - 3:04The burial was complete, but the taboo
of death weighed heavily on the scholar. -
3:04 - 3:06How could he have been so foolish,
-
3:06 - 3:11to shirk his most important rule
and corrupt his divine journey? -
3:11 - 3:14After a tormented night,
-
3:14 - 3:19he resolved to go back
to the shrine to cleanse himself. -
3:19 - 3:23To his surprise, the usually quiet temple
was filled with people, -
3:23 - 3:29all gathering around a medium
who communicated directly with the kami. -
3:29 - 3:35The man hid himself, not daring approach
in case anyone glimpse his polluted soul. -
3:35 - 3:40But the medium had other ways of seeing,
and called him forward from the crowd. -
3:40 - 3:44Ready to be forsaken, the scholar
approached the holy woman. -
3:44 - 3:47But the medium merely smiled.
-
3:47 - 3:50She took his impure hand in hers,
-
3:50 - 3:54and whispered a blessing
only he could hear— -
3:54 - 3:56thanking him for his kindness.
-
3:56 - 4:01In that moment, the scholar discovered
a great spiritual secret: -
4:01 - 4:07contamination and corruption
are two very different things. -
4:07 - 4:11Filled with insight, the scholar
set himself back on his journey. -
4:11 - 4:14But this time, he stopped
to help those he met. -
4:14 - 4:18He began to see the beauty
of the spirit world everywhere he went, -
4:18 - 4:21even in the city
he'd previously shunned. -
4:21 - 4:24Others cautioned that he risked kegare—
-
4:24 - 4:27but he never told them
why he so freely mingled -
4:27 - 4:29with the sick and disadvantaged.
-
4:29 - 4:33For he knew that people could
only truly understand harae -
4:33 - 4:35through a journey of their own.
- Title:
- The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar - Iseult Gillespie
- Speaker:
- Iseult Gillespie
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-japanese-folktale-of-the-selfish-scholar-iseult-gillespie
In ancient Kyoto, a Shinto scholar found himself distracted from his prayers and sought to perform a purification ritual that would cleanse him. He decided to travel to the revered Hie Shrine; walking the path alone, ignoring any distractions in his quest for balance, and never straying. But setting out for home one day, he hears desperate pleas for help. Iseult Gillespie shares the tale of mercy.
Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by Amir Houshang Moein.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:39
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Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar | ||
Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar | ||
Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar |