| A millennium ago, a woman known as Sugawara no Takasue's daughter wrote a literary diary, the Sarashina nikki. What distinguishes the nikki from other nikki-style works in the Heian period is the description of dreams. The narrator's life revolved about the dreams. Throughout her life, she wished to climb up the social ladder among the Heian aristocracy, only in vain. Upon reflecting upon her life in desperation in her later years, she realized her unhappiness had originated from her negligence of the import of the dreams which conveyed oracle-like messages throughout her life. Whenever she faced adversity in reality, she sought a refuge in her ideals. Her ideal changed from the world of monogatari, to Buddhist beliefs, and finally to dream beliefs unique to herself. The Sarashina nikki illustrates one woman's method of coping with the social problems of her time by indulging in dreams and moving away from harsh reality. |
