Kim was part of the yangban, the ruling class of literati in seventeenth century Korea. He reputedly wrote this short novel for his mother while both were in exile. This is one weird novel- full of magic and philosophy. Its plot is almost besides the point. The novel begins by comparing the philosophies of Confucianism and Buddhism. “If a youth diligently studies the Confucian classics and serves his country as a minister of state or a general when he is grown into a man, he may dress in silks with an official seal upon his jade belt. He may look upon beautiful colors with his eyes and listen to beautiful voices with his ears. He may enjoy beautiful girls and leave an honorable legacy for his descendants. But a Buddhist monk has only a small bowl of rice and a cup of water.” Later, Kim puts into the voice of King Ksitigarbha more Buddhist teachings, “Each man has his own path to perfection, and each is reborn in order to carry out the things necessary to work out his karma. No man can escape the cycle of samsara.”
The plot of Kim’s novel intersperses pithy gems throughout. The hero of the novel, Shao-yu’s, hermit father forewarns him before ascending to immortality, “Meetings and farewells, farewells and meetings—that is the way of the world.” Sometimes Kim’s lines seem almost unintentionally humorous, as when Shao-yu’s long-lost aunt, a Taoist priestess, juxtaposes her quest for nirvana with her family duties. “I was about to go off and retire to the Kung-tung Mountains to pursue immortality, but now that your mother’s letter has reached me with this request, I will stay a while longer to help you.” One theme of this novel is the nature of impermanence. Shao-yu states, “The Buddha said a man’s body is a transitory illusion, like foam on the water or flower petals in a gust of wind. Who can say, then, what really exists and what does not?”
The novel’s plot is filled with classical Chinese allusions. There are also many references to classical Chinese poetry. The emperor, commanding Shao-yu to write some verse, states, “Li Po was not only the best poet amongst subjects, he was the greatest of all time…. I would like to enjoy what it must have been like to watch Li Po composing poetry while he was drunk.” Humility, respect, and deference for one’s superiors is a constant recurrence. “The Book of Rites says one bows to the king’s horse not for its sake but because the king is riding it.” Often things get a little weird. A Dragon Princess explains to Shao-yu, “I am covered in scales, and I do not want to defile your bed with my fins and my repulsive fishy smell.” Another strange motif throughout the novel is the offbeat tricks the nobility pull on each other. Minister Chang admonishes his whining daughter, “Today you have mounted a dragon! That Yang is brilliant! There’s an old story about Wang Wei dressing up as a musician and playing the lute in the palace for Princess T’ai-p’ing. He also went on to win the top score on the government examinations. If Yang went so far as to dress as a woman to win his bride, then he is truly resourceful. For this prank you say you dislike him? In any case, what you saw was a Taoist priestess, not Yang. It’s not your fault that he made a very pretty girl musician!” Sometimes the pranks seem more cruel than lustful. Later the Empress Dowager schemes, “Marshal Yang has resisted me three times for the sake of Princess Ying-yang. So I would like to play a trick on him…. When he returns, tell him your daughter took sick and died…. Let us see if he can recognize her on his wedding day!” It is not giving the plot away to reveal that Shao-yu is showered with all sorts of enviable worldly delights. He recounts to his master, “I cannot tell if the dream was not reality or if this reality is not a dream. Please teach me the Way so I may understand.”
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