@article{ART003303865},
author={Si Jun Lee},
title={The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū},
journal={日本硏究},
issn={1229-6309},
year={2026},
number={64},
pages={175-203}
TY - JOUR
AU - Si Jun Lee
TI - The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū
JO - 日本硏究
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 64
PB - The Center for Japanese Studies
SP - 175
EP - 203
SN - 1229-6309
AB - This article analyzes narratives of killing in the Japanese section of Konjaku Monogatari-shū, focusing on how the Buddhist precept against killing is interpreted and negotiated within narrative structures. Through a typological analysis, this study demonstrates that killing is never treated as a morally neutral act, yet its meaning and consequences vary according to the narrative context.
First, tales of immediate retribution present killing as an act that directly leads to punishment, emphasizing the absolute severity of the precept. Second, atonement narratives show that killing does not always result in irreversible ruin; practices such as temple construction, sutra recitation, and religious devotion function to reorganize life after killing without erasing responsibility. Finally, exceptional cases such as killing for the protection of Buddhist Law, preservation of practitioners’lives, livelihood-based necessity, or punishment of evildoers reveal a conditional tolerance of violence. However, even in such cases, killing remains karmically effective and requires compensatory religious practices.
Rather than abandoning the ideal of non-killing, Konjaku Monogatari-shūarticulates a narrative space in which Buddhist ethics confront social reality. These tales foreground the tension between absolute moral norms and lived experiences, inviting readers to reflect on the application of Buddhist ethics in an imperfect world.
KW - A folktale;Narratives of Killing;The Precept against Killing;Karmic Retribution Thought;Structures of Salvation
DO -
UR -
ER -
Si Jun Lee. (2026). The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū. 日本硏究, 64, 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. 2026, "The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū", 日本硏究, no.64, pp.175-203.
Si Jun Lee "The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū" 日本硏究 64 pp.175-203 (2026) : 175.
Si Jun Lee. The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū. 2026; 64 : 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. "The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū" 日本硏究 no.64(2026) : 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū. 日本硏究, 64, 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū. 日本硏究. 2026; 64 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū. 2026; 64 : 175-203.
Si Jun Lee. "The Structure and Logic of Killing Narratives in the JapaneseSection of Konjaku Monogatari-shū" 日本硏究 no.64(2026) : 175-203.
