Fantasy story - Genmu Monogatari

Japanese: 幻夢物語 - げんむものがたり

A story from the Muromachi period. Author unknown. The ascetic monk Genmu from Ohara, Kyoto, cannot forget the young boy Hanamatsu from Mount Nikko, with whom he became close through renga poetry, and on his way back from praying at Hiyoshi-sanno, he stops by Nikko Chikurinbo. That night, he is reunited with Hanamatsu, but the next morning, an old monk tells him that seven days ago Hanamatsu had avenged his father's death and was killed in battle, and he realizes that the Hanamatsu from the previous night was a ghost. Realizing the impermanence of life, Genmu climbs Mount Koya, and by chance, around the anniversary of Hanamatsu's death the following year, he meets the samurai who killed Hanamatsu, a young monk who is now an ascetic monk. They both repent, attain enlightenment, and attain eternal life.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

室町時代の物語。作者未詳。京都大原の修行僧幻夢は連歌を機縁に親密となった日光山の稚児花松のことが忘れられず，日吉山王への祈願の帰途，日光竹林房まで尋ねて行く。その夜，花松と再会するが，翌朝老僧から花松が7日前に父の仇を報じ，みずからも討死にしたことを聞き，昨夜の花松が亡霊であったことを知る。無常を観じた幻夢は高野山に登り，翌年の命日のころ，偶然にも花松を討った武士で，今は修行僧となった若僧と知り合い，互いに懺悔し，発心，往生する。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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