『今昔物語集』의 불효담에 대한 고찰 – 『日本霊異記』와의 비교를 통해서 –

Abstract

There are two approaches in studying undutiful stories indicated in legendry. One is to analyze the undutiful action itself and the other is to analyze the inaction i.e. not being dutiful to parents; in terms of the latter, being dutiful shall be analyzed as the prerequisite. Whilst people who urge debt to mother severely or attempt mother’s life to meet wife can be examples of the former, those who do not perform general dutiful things such as building a pagoda, transcribing scriptures or presenting an offer to monks can be examples of the latter. In particular, as “Hujiwaranotadakane” demonstrates, “Konzakumonogatarisyu” compliments the dutifulness and points out the undutifulness as terrible misdeeds. Furthermore, it is recognised in “Yosisigenoyasutane” that being undutiful is associated with Samsara (the eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth). It also notes that one could be born as an animal when he had been undutiful to his parents and one should not deal with an animal thoughtlessly since the animal might have been a parent in the previous life. Compared to “Nihonryouiki”, “Konzakumonogatarisyu” tends to directly mention the wording ‘dutiful’ and ‘undutiful.’ Tentou (the way of providence) often shows in “Konzakumonogatarisyu” as transcendental existence that is moved by the dutiful or punishes the undutiful. Tentou has a power to affect one’s life and death as it can forgive people who violated a taboo for loyalty or took revenge for parents’ death. Hence, the connection between being dutifulness, undutifulness and Tentou is identified as a main feature of “Konzakumonogatarisyu.”