Lady Murasaki's "Court Diary"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Lady Murasaki wrote her "Court Diary during the period in which Bushido was a code and way of life for Samurai men and was influenced by Zen and Confucianism. The author points out that in Lady Murasaki's "Court Diary", it is obvious that Buddhism and Buddhist metaphysics are very much a part of Japanese court life; however, what is not so obvious is that Chinese Confucianism also had become part of 10th century Japan's Imperial court. The paper relates that the notion of impermanence is an extremely salient characteristic throughout the Diary; she writes that all things are ephemeral, reflecting on the aesthetics of the period, which were based on the beauty of impermanence.

From the Paper:

"Confucianism influenced the Chinese attitude toward life, set the patterns of living and standards of social value, and provided the background for Chinese political theories and institutions. It eventually spread from China to Korea, from Korea to Japan where it was first brought to around the fifth century. Confucius had a great impact on the Japanese civilization. His teachings relating to ethics, honor, social responsibility, familial obligations, ancestor worship, and observation of rites and historical precedence provide the glue that gives the Japanese civilization continuity and durability."

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