 The Heian period in Japan lasted from 794 to 1185 and it was a great time of cultural and artistic developments and during this period the capital of Japan was Kyoto and Kyoto remained the nation's capital until 1867. Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th century and it was patronized by the imperial court and aristocracy. Now during the Heian period Buddhism became a central part of Japanese culture and it had a profound impact on Japanese social, political and artistic life. Now one of the most significant ways in which Buddhism influenced Japanese culture during the Heian period was through the creation of new art forms such as the construction of temples and the production of religious texts. Now Buddhism played an important role in the development of Japanese literature particularly in the writing of fiction or monogatari and Buddhist monasteries became centers of learning and education and some monks even held important positions in the imperial court. Now one of the most influential groups of the Heian era was the Fujiwara family, Fujiwara Michinaga particularly succeeded in influencing Heian politics by marrying his daughters to the emperor and other royalty and then ruled on behalf of their children. So the powerful Fujiwara controlled both Heian politics as well as cultural production and so it's not a coincidence that the author of The Tale of Genji Lady Murasaki belonged to the Fujiwara family. Now let's talk about The Tale of Genji which was written during the Heian period and The Tale of Genji is widely considered to be the world's first novel and one of the greatest masterpieces of Japanese literature. Now The Tale of Genji is a very complex and nuanced work that explores themes such as love politics and religion and the impermanence of life. Now in addition to its literary significance The Tale of Genji is also significant as a historical document and so for students of history The Tale of Genji provides an important window into the lives and attitudes of the imperial court and aristocracy and it provides important insight into the religious, social and political developments of Japan during this time. Now one important point to understand is that Japanese men did not write fiction. Until the Heian period Japanese men used Chinese characters to write about history, politics, religion and philosophy, you know, matters of truth. They didn't have any interest in writing fiction where everything is imaginary and made up. So they looked down upon fiction and this is an important point because this gave women a unique opportunity to enter the literary field and in some ways we can compare this to say the origins of the blues in the deep south. Now after the civil war white musicians were not interested in the music of four African Americans in Georgia or the Mississippi Delta but their amazing music became very popular in the early 20th century and eventually became the cornerstone of American music. So similarly in Japan Japanese women were not allowed to write non-fiction or learn Chinese and so women developed Katagana and wrote fiction for the first time in Japanese and Murasaki used this opportunity to create one of the greatest masterpieces of Japanese literature and this is significant because Monogotari marks the emergence of a new literary genre and it represents a major turning point in the history of Japanese literature. Now the Tenu Genji contains several references to Buddhism. The concept of mono no avare which refers to the impermanence of everything around us and the sadness that arises from the uncertainty of life. So this concept of mono no avare is expressed throughout the novel through the characters including Genji who are deeply affected by the fleeting nature of love life and beauty and the role of Buddhist priests and monasteries is also a prominent theme and the characters in the story often visit monasteries and seek the guidance of priests and monasteries are depicted as places of peace and refuge where one can escape the troubles of the world. Now the novel is divided into 54 chapters each of which focuses on a different episode in Genji's life. Now this is a long novel with many many characters. Now let's just briefly review a few of the main characters in the novel. You'll notice that Genji is the only character in the whole novel who has a name. His name is Hikaru Genji which means shining Genji. All other characters are referred to by their titles, their birthplace or flowers. The author herself Murasaki. She is named after a flower. So in other words Murasaki is not the real name of the author. It's just a pseudonym. Now let's talk about Genji. Who is he and what is he looking for? Genji is a handsome and talented prince. He is the son of the Japanese emperor but his mother is a low-ranking consort named Kiritsubu. So what does that tell us about Heian society and imperial politics? The emperor and aristocratic men had many women and love affairs and that was quite common and socially accepted. So Genji's mom Kiritsubu was a very beautiful woman and the emperor was very attracted to her but she was not a powerful woman and what we know is that there was a kind of ranking or social hierarchy among the women and children of the consorts and so although Genji was very handsome and talented and probably the most qualified to succeed the emperor, his father, he could never become the emperor of Japan because of his mom's low social ranking in imperial politics. Now one of the top ranking consorts was a lady named Kokiden and Kokiden hated Genji and his mom and Kokiden made sure that her own son became the emperor not Genji. So she was the evil stepmom. Now Genji's mom Kiritsubu died soon after Genji was born and the emperor then took on another consort named Fujitsu and Fujitsu was a very young and beautiful girl and there was a very small age gap between Fujitsu and Genji and much smaller than what it was between the emperor and Fujitsu. So initially Fujitsu took care of Genji because he was a small boy but as Genji grew up he became very attracted to Fujitsu, his father's wife, father's consort and Genji had a secret love affair with Fujitsu and impregnated her and the child that Fujitsu gave birth to was actually Genji's son but everything was hush-hush and most people thought that it was the emperor's son. Now Genji's relationship with Fujitsu is marked by both passion and secrecy. Now despite their deep love for each other they had to keep their relationship hidden from the rest of the nobility. So now what's so interesting about this affair between Genji and Fujitsu is that many years later this child eventually becomes the emperor of Japan. So although Genji was the most qualified he could not become the emperor but ironically his illegitimate son becomes the emperor many years later and so the author Murasaki also portrays women in the novel as complex and multi-dimensional characters with their own desires emotions and agency. For example Fujitsu is shown to have her own agency and desires and she resists Genji's advances when necessary. So why does the author create the storyline? In Japanese culture the role of family lineage and the emperor are very important and although Genji is the emperor's son he was not allowed to become the emperor because of his mom's low social status. So the author is telling us in a subversive way that the emperor and the aristocrats were all having so many affairs and children with different women. So how can we be so sure about the purity of lineage? She's questioning this and one of the major themes of the tale of Genji is the importance of social status and rank in Heian period society and this theme is explored through the characters interaction and relationships as well as through the novels depiction of court life and the various rituals and customs that govern it. Now Genji has several romantic relationships. Now Lady Aoi is the only woman that Genji marries. She is his official wife but Genji does not love her. Genji is looking for true and lasting love and happiness but he never finds it. Genji is unhappy and all the female characters are unhappy people. Again this is a reference to the four noble truths that the Buddha taught. Life is full of dukkha or dissatisfaction. The Buddha thought that dukkha arises from craving and attachment to things that are impermanent and constantly changing. The Buddha thought that the ultimate cause of suffering is the ignorance of the true nature of reality and the way to end suffering is to develop wisdom and insight into the nature of reality. And so although Genji was a handsome prince and had many lovers he was never happy because all the things he pursued were impermanent. Even love does not last forever. There is only one female character named Ukifunin from the next generation towards the end of the novel who says I am happy. And after going through some very difficult and unpleasant challenges in life Ukifunin joins a Buddhist monastery and there is a sentence in that chapter that says waves of peace flowed over her and that is to show that she is now in a happy and peaceful place. Ukifunin figured out how to overcome dukkha in life by following the teachings of the Buddha. So who is Ukifunin and what is the author trying to tell us through this character? Ukifunin appears in the later chapters towards the end of the novel and one of the main themes of the novel is the impermanence of life which is highlighted by the frequent deaths and losses that occur throughout the narrative. And this theme is reinforced by the use of imagery such as cherry blossoms which are the traditional symbol of the transience of life and the novel also explores the theme of desire which is depicted both as a positive and a negative force. On the one hand desire drives many of the characters actions and provides a source of pleasure and fulfillment. On the other hand it also leads to jealousy, betrayal and other negative consequences. So the deeper significance of this novel lies in the Buddhist concepts of impermanence and the constant change and everything in the universe is constantly changing. Nothing lasts forever not even love or beauty. And so throughout the life of Genji Lady Murasaki explores these ideas. The author herself was Buddhist and the concept of karma weighs heavily on all the characters in the novel. They are absorbed in their own karma from which they seek release and the transient beauty in the world, the slow progress of time and the change of seasons. All these provide the scenic background for the tale of Genji. Everything in existence is karma if evolving from a past which predetermines the present which in turn determines the future. And leading characters in the tale of Genji do not understand themselves. They wander, doubt and try to balance their thoughts and emotions with those of others and with ideas of life and death. So overall the significance of the tale of Genji lies in its exploration of these themes and its portrayal of the complexities and nuances of Heian period society and culture. And the novel provides valuable insights into the history and culture of Japan while also speaking to universal themes and experiences that continue to resonate with readers today. So this is why the tale of Genji remains an enduring masterpiece of world literature. So I hope you enjoyed this brief lecture about the Heian period and the significance of the tale of Genji in world history and world literature. Thank you.