Matsukaze Blog Post #1

Matsukaze is a Japanese story that revolves around Buddhist teachings. Matsukaze and Murasame are two ghosts who are still attached to worldly desires and therefore are stuck in limbo. As both spirits pine for Yukihira, both momentarily long for him, but Murasame remains rational and lets go of these desires, leaving Matsukaze behind. The purpose of this story is to teach these Buddhist teachings in that people should not get attached to such desires. As Murasame learns to let go of her emotional attachments to worldly things, she passes on to the next stage (after death) whereas Matsukaze remains a world bound spirit as she still pines for her love.

There are two small sections I believe address this:

283-289

Matsukaze: Each night before I go to sleep, I take off the hunting cloak

Chorus: And hang it up. . ." I hung all my hopes on living in the same work with him, but being here makes no sense at all and these keepsakes are nothing.

307-314

Murasame: For shame! For such thoughts as these you are lost in the sin of passion. All the delusions that held you in life --  None forgotten! That is a pine tree. And Yukihira is not here.

Matsukaze: You are talking nonsense! This pine is Yukihira!

These two small sections emphasize some key words, which include hopes, keepsakes (nothing), shame, lost, sin, passion, and delusions. Here, Murasame is trying to tell Matsukaze that she is being irrational and sinful as she pines for someone she cannot have. The chorus states that all these keepsakes are nothing and Murasame states that Matsukaze is lost in passion. Matsukaze refuses to see this and still believes that Yukihira is with her.  The usage of the words sin and delusions at one time emphasizes the severity of Matsukaze’s desires. Not only are they sinful but also they are literally causing her to go crazy. Furthermore this desire is shameful and causes her to get further lost in the realm of mortal possessions. Matsukaze is so consumed by the thought of Yukihira that she believes the pine over Murasame.

The point of this section is to show that remaining attached to possessions that are literally out of reach, is irrational and will haunt you. Also, this section emphasizes how much possessions can control a person rather than a person simply being attracted to a possession. Here, Yukihira has Matsukaze’s mind in a bind. She is beyond consumed by the thought of him. By analyzing this section, it is evident that too much passion is a bad thing. It is good to be passionate, but to have passion for something is sinful.

Furthermore, this section puts an ironic emphasis on their names. Matsukaze, ‘Matsu’ literally pines for Yukihira as Murasame momentarily gets caught up then realizes the errors of her ways and calms down, much like an autumn rain.

-Krupa Shah