Cover of 悟浄歎異 (Gojōtanni)

Part 1 of 7 · JLPT N1

悟浄歎異 Gojōtanni, part 1: Hakkai's Failed Transformations

by Nakajima Atsushi · 1,656 characters · from Gojō Looks On in Wonder

In this part

After the midday meal, while their master rests, Gokū makes Hakkai practise transforming into a dragon, but Hakkai only produces a rat snake and then an absurd lizard-like python. When Hakkai protests that Gokū is judging only by results, Gokū concedes the point but explains his theory that transformation depends on pure, intense concentration of will. The narrator, Gojō, then reflects on Gokū's genius and the fire of self-confidence that burns in him and spreads to those near him.

AI translation · independently checked

昼餉ひるげののち、師父しふが道みちばたの松まつの樹きの下もとでしばらく憩いこうておられる間あいだ、悟空ごくうは八戒はっかいを近ちかくの原はらっぱに連出つれだして、変身へんしんの術じゅつの練習れんしゅうをさせていた。After the midday meal, while our master was resting for a while beneath a pine tree by the roadside, Gokū took Hakkai out to a nearby field and made him practise the art of transformation.

「やってみろ!」と悟空ごくうが言いう。"Go on, try it!" said Gokū.

「竜りゅうになりたいとほんとうに思おもうんだ。いいか。ほんとうにだぜ。この上うえなしの、突つきつめた気持きもちで、そう思おもうんだ。ほかの雑念ざつねんはみんな棄すててだよ。いいか。本気ほんきにだぜ。この上うえなしの・とことんの・本気ほんきにだぜ。」"You've got to really want to become a dragon. Got it? I mean really. With nothing above it, with your feelings pushed to the very limit, that's how you've got to want it. Throw away every other stray thought. Got it? I mean seriously. Seriously to the max, all the way, nothing held back!"

「よし!」と八戒はっかいは眼めを閉とじ、印いんを結むすんだ。"Right!" said Hakkai, and he closed his eyes and formed a mudra with his hands.

八戒はっかいの姿すがたが消きえ、五ご尺しゃくばかりの青大将あおだいしょうが現あらわれた。Hakkai's figure vanished, and a rat snake about five feet long appeared.

そばで見みていた俺おれは思おもわず吹出ふきだしてしまった。Watching from nearby, I couldn't help bursting out laughing.

「ばか! 青大将あおだいしょうにしかなれないのか!」と悟空ごくうが叱しかった。"Idiot! Is a rat snake the best you can do?" Gokū scolded.

青大将あおだいしょうが消きえて八戒はっかいが現あらわれた。The rat snake vanished and Hakkai appeared.

「だめだよ、俺おれは。まったくどうしてかな?」と八戒はっかいは面目めんぼくなげに鼻はなを鳴ならした。"It's no good, I'm hopeless. Why on earth can't I do it?" said Hakkai, snorting sheepishly.

「だめだめ。てんで気持きもちが凝こらないんじゃないか、お前まえは。もう一度いちどやってみろ。いいか。真剣しんけんに、かけ値ねなしの真剣しんけんになって、竜りゅうになりたい竜りゅうになりたいと思おもうんだ。竜りゅうになりたいという気持きもちだけになって、お前まえというものが消きえてしまえばいいんだ。」"No good, no good. You just can't concentrate your feelings at all, can you? Try it once more. Got it? Get serious, dead serious, no messing about, and think 'I want to be a dragon, I want to be a dragon.' Turn into nothing but the wish to become a dragon, until the thing called 'you' just disappears."

よし、もう一度いちどと八戒はっかいは印いんを結むすぶ。"Right, once more," said Hakkai, forming the mudra.

今度こんどは前まえと違ちがって奇怪きっかいなものが現あらわれた。This time, unlike before, something bizarre appeared.

錦蛇にしきへびには違ちがいないが、小ちいさな前肢まえあしが生はえていて、大蜥蜴おおとかげのようでもある。It was a python, no doubt about that, but it had small front legs sprouting from it, so it also looked like a big lizard.

しかし、腹部ふくぶは八戒はっかい自身じしんに似にてブヨブヨ膨ふくれており、短みじかい前肢まえあしで二に、三さん歩ほ匍はうと、なんとも言いえない無恰好ぶかっこうさであった。Its belly, though, was swollen and flabby, just like Hakkai himself, and when it crawled a few steps on its short front legs it looked clumsy beyond words.

俺おれはまたゲラゲラ笑わらえてきた。Again I found myself roaring with laughter.

「もういい。もういい。止やめろ!」と悟空ごくうが怒鳴どなる。"That's enough. That's enough. Stop!" Gokū shouted.

頭あたまを掻かき掻かき八戒はっかいが現あらわれる。Hakkai reappeared, scratching and scratching his head.

悟空ごくう。GOKŪ:

お前まえの竜りゅうになりたいという気持きもちが、まだまだ突つきつめていないからだ。It's because your wish to become a dragon still isn't pushed far enough.

だからだめなんだ。That's why it's no good.

八戒はっかい。HAKKAI:

そんなことはない。That's not true.

これほど一生いっしょう懸命けんめいに、竜りゅうになりたい竜りゅうになりたいと思おもいつめているんだぜ。I'm putting everything I've got into it, wishing and wishing I could be a dragon, I tell you.

こんなに強つよく、こんなにひたむきに。This hard, this single-mindedly.

悟空ごくう。GOKŪ:

お前まえにそれができないということが、つまり、お前まえの気持きもちの統一とういつがまだ成なっていないということになるんだ。The fact that you can't do it simply means that your feelings still aren't unified.

八戒はっかい。HAKKAI:

そりゃひどいよ。That's not fair!

それは結果論けっかろんじゃないか。You're just judging by the result, aren't you?

悟空ごくう。GOKŪ:

なるほどね。Fair enough.

結果けっかからだけ見みて原因げんいんを批判ひはんすることは、けっして最上さいじょうのやり方かたじゃないさ。Criticising the cause by looking only at the result is certainly not the best way of doing things.

しかし、この世よでは、どうやらそれがいちばん実際的じっさいてきに確たしかな方法ほうほうのようだぜ。But in this world it seems to be the most reliable method in practice, you know.

今いまのお前まえの場合ばあいなんか、明あきらかにそうだからな。In your case just now, for instance, it's obviously true.

悟空ごくうによれば、変化へんげの法ほうとは次つぎのごときものである。According to Gokū, the method of transformation is as follows.

すなわち、あるものになりたいという気持きもちが、この上うえなく純粋じゅんすいに、この上うえなく強烈きょうれつであれば、ついにはそのものになれる。Namely, if the wish to become a certain thing is pure beyond measure and intense beyond measure, one can in the end become that thing.

なれないのは、まだその気持きもちがそこまで至いたっていないからだ。If one cannot, it is because the wish has not yet reached that point.

法術ほうじゅつの修行しゅぎょうとは、かくのごとく己おのれの気持きもちを純一じゅんいつ無垢むく、かつ強烈きょうれつなものに統一とういつする法ほうを学まなぶに在ある。Training in the magic arts consists in learning how to unify one's feelings in this way into something pure, unalloyed and intense.

この修行しゅぎょうは、かなりむずかしいものには違ちがいないが、いったんその境さかいに達たっしたのちは、もはや以前いぜんのような大だい努力どりょくを必要ひつようとせず、ただ心こころをその形かたちに置おくことによって容易よういに目的もくてきを達たっしうる。This training is no doubt quite difficult, but once one has reached that state, great effort like before is no longer needed, and one can easily achieve one's aim simply by setting one's mind on the desired form.

これは、他たの諸芸しょげいにおけると同様どうようである。This is just as it is in the other arts.

変化へんげの術じゅつが人間にんげんにできずして狐狸こりにできるのは、つまり、人間にんげんには関心かんしんすべき種々しゅじゅの事柄ことがらがあまりに多おおいがゆえに精神せいしん統一とういつが至難しなんであるに反はんし、野獣やじゅうは心こころを労ろうすべき多おおくの瑣事さじを有もたず、したがってこの統一とういつが容易よういだからである、云々うんぬん。The reason why humans cannot transform while foxes and badgers can is that humans have so very many different matters demanding their attention that concentration of mind is extremely difficult for them, whereas wild beasts have few petty things to trouble their minds about, and so this unification comes easily to them; and so on and so forth.

悟空ごくうは確たしかに天才てんさいだ。Gokū is certainly a genius.

これは疑うたがいない。There's no doubt about that.

それははじめてこの猿さるを見みた瞬間しゅんかんにすぐ感かんじ取とられたことである。I sensed it the very moment I first set eyes on this monkey.

初はじめ、赭顔あからがお・鬚面ひげづらのその容貌ようぼうを醜みにくいと感かんじた俺おれも、次つぎの瞬間しゅんかんには、彼かれの内うちから溢あふれ出でるものに圧倒あっとうされて、容貌ようぼうのことなど、すっかり忘わすれてしまった。At first I found his red-faced, bearded features ugly, but the next moment I was overwhelmed by what came pouring out from inside him, and I completely forgot about his looks.

今いまでは、ときにこの猿さるの容貌ようぼうを美うつくしい(とは言いえぬまでも少すくなくともりっぱだ)とさえ感かんじるくらいだ。These days I sometimes even find this monkey's face beautiful (or if not quite that, at least magnificent).

その面魂つらだましいにもその言葉ことばつきにも、悟空ごくうが自己じこに対たいして抱いだいている信頼しんらいが、生いき生いきと溢あふれている。In his fierce face and in his way of speaking alike, the trust Gokū has in himself overflows with life.

この男おとこは嘘うそのつけない男おとこだ。This is a man who cannot lie.

誰だれに対たいしてよりも、まず自分じぶんに対たいして。Not to himself, first of all, even before anyone else.

この男おとこの中なかには常つねに火ひが燃もえている。A fire is always burning inside this man.

豊ゆたかな、激はげしい火ひが。A rich, fierce fire.

その火ひはすぐにかたわらにいる者ものに移うつる。That fire quickly spreads to whoever is beside him.

彼かれの言葉ことばを聞きいているうちに、自然しぜんにこちらも彼かれの信しんずるとおりに信しんじないではいられなくなってくる。As you listen to him talk, you naturally find you can't help believing just what he believes.

彼かれのかたわらにいるだけで、こちらまでが何なんか豊ゆたかな自信じしんに充みちてくる。Just being beside him, you too somehow fill up with a rich self-confidence.

彼かれは火種ひだね。He is the spark.

世界せかいは彼かれのために用意よういされた薪たきぎ。The world is the firewood laid ready for him.

世界せかいは彼かれによって燃もされるために在ある。The world exists to be set ablaze by him.

Vocabulary

WordMeaningJLPT
昼餉ひるげmidday meal, lunchOld-fashioned word; 餉 means a meal. Compare 夕餉 (supper).—
憩うていこうto rest, to relaxdictionary form: 憩う憩うて is the old-style て-form (modern 憩って), common in literary writing.—
突きつめたつきつめるto push to the limit; to think something through to the enddictionary form: 突き詰めるHere it describes a feeling made as intense and focused as possible.—
雑念ざつねんstray thoughts, distractionsOften used in Buddhist or meditation contexts.—
印を結んだいんをむすぶto form a mudra (a ritual hand gesture used in magic or Buddhist practice)dictionary form: 印を結ぶ—
青大将あおだいしょうJapanese rat snakeA common, harmless snake, so a comically poor substitute for a dragon.—
吹出してふきだすto burst out laughingdictionary form: 吹き出すAlso means 'to spout, gush out'.—
面目なげにめんぼくないashamed, embarrasseddictionary form: 面目ない〜げ adds 'looking ~', so 面目なげに = 'with a sheepish look'.—
てんでてんで(not) at allColloquial; used with negatives.N1
かけ値なしかけねなしgenuine, without exaggerationdictionary form: 掛け値なし掛け値 is an inflated asking price, so 'no mark-up' means 'the real thing'.—
結果論けっかろんjudging by results; hindsight argument—
変化へんげmagical transformation, shape-shiftingRead へんげ in this supernatural sense, not へんか (change).N3
狐狸こりfoxes and tanuki (raccoon dogs)In Japanese folklore both animals are famous shape-shifters.—
火種ひだねa live coal or spark used to start a fire; a source of something spreading—

Grammar

〜ておられる N3 honorific progressive (is doing)

〜ておられる is a respectful form of 〜ている, made with おられる (honorific of おる/いる). It describes an ongoing state, here 'is resting'. 憩うて is the older te-form of 憩う (modern 憩って), so 憩うておられる means 'while the master is resting' and shows the narrator's respect toward Sanzō.

師父が道ばたの松の樹の下でしばらく憩うておられる間

while our master was resting for a while beneath a pine tree by the roadside

〜には違いない N3 it is certainly ~, no doubt ~

Affirms that something is definitely the case, usually before a contrasting が clause. Here it admits the creature is a python before adding what is strange about it.

錦蛇には違いないが、小さな前肢が生えていて

It was a python, no doubt about that, but it had small front legs sprouting from it

〜うる N2 can ~, be able to ~

Attached to the verb stem, うる (also える) expresses possibility in written style. 達しうる means 'can achieve'.

ただ心をその形に置くことによって容易に目的を達しうる

one can easily achieve one's aim simply by setting one's mind on the desired form

〜ずして / 〜がゆえに N1 without doing ~ / because of ~

〜ずして is a literary negative linking form ('not being able to, yet...'), and がゆえに is formal 'because'. Together they give this sentence its stiff, treatise-like tone.

変化の術が人間にできずして狐狸にできるのは、つまり、人間には関心すべき種々の事柄があまりに多いがゆえに精神統一が至難である

The reason why humans cannot transform while foxes and badgers can is that humans have so very many matters demanding their attention that concentration of mind is extremely difficult

〜ないではいられない N2 can't help doing ~

Expresses an urge one cannot resist. With なくなってくる it describes gradually reaching the point where one cannot help believing.

自然にこちらも彼の信ずるとおりに信じないではいられなくなってくる

you naturally find you can't help believing just what he believes

〜のごとき N1 like ~, such as ~

A literary form of のような. 次のごときもの means 'something like the following', and it introduces Gokū's theory.

変化の法とは次のごときものである

the method of transformation is as follows