Impermanence and retribution: A re-examination of two unifying themes in the "Tale of the Heike"

Abstract

The primary theme of impermanence for all things and the secondary theme of retribution are widely acknowledged by literary scholars to be unifying themes in the Tale of the Heike, a medieval Japanese narrative. These themes are apparent from the famous opening lines of the tale's Preface, but interpretations differ regarding their subsequent development in the main narrative. In English scholarship, the implications of impermanence in the Heike have not been adequately explored, and the sad fate of the whole Taira clan has often been misunderstood as simply karmic retribution for Taira Kiyomori's evil deeds.

This thesis re-examines these themes to demonstrate how: (1) the Heike's emphasis on the Buddhist law of impermanence for all things in general, and the decline of the proud and mighty in particular, is manifested not only in the fate of the Taira clan, but also in the fate of the retired emperors, (2) Confucian, Buddhist, and kami beliefs function together to justify retribution for the Taira clan, and (3) the suffering endured by Taira Kiyomori's descendants can be read as one aspect of retribution for Kiyomori, similar to the practice of enza, or the execution of an offender with his kin.