Abstract
The term godai (go "five"+dai "elements"="the five elements") refers to the four essential elements composing the universe, chi "earth," sui "water," ka "fire," fu "wind," plus ku "void." Dai is a translation of the original Sanskrit meaning "elements" and there was a view of life and death called Shitai (shi "four"+dai "elements"), in which the notion of ku "void" played a central role. In the presentation last year, I considered how the philosophy of godai was incorporated in Japanese classical literature, as represented by Matsuo Basho. In this study, I will examine Isemonogatari, Kokindenju, Sasamegoto and other literary works which were not dealt with in the presentation last year and show how they are related to works written by modern-day Buddhists such as Thich Nhat Hanh. As touched on in the previous presentation, through a radioactive isotope analysis, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed that 98 percent of atoms composing the biological body is replaced within a year, which seems to be in accord with the notion of godai, in which shitai or four elements are supposed to circulate around ku "void." In this presentation I will examine how the philosophy of godai is treated both in Japanese classical literature and modern Buddhism.
