Spring Snow discussion

I don't want to talk much about the main part of the book, which is beautifully written and interesting to read. All main characters are discussed many times already. But I still cannot understand why the hell was that old priestess in the temple tslking to Honda about all those Buddhist things instead of just being kind and give him - I mean Honda, not Kiyoaki - a chance to meet Satoko. She said something like 'Satoko promised before God never to meet Kiyoaki in this world', but Satoko never promised to avoid meeting Honda. She could meet him if that hypocritical old witch of a priestess allowed. And maybe she'd grant her forgiveness to Kiyoaki after meeting his best friend for a short while. It was very painful to see young lives ruined by the rules too strict for the human beings. And knowing Satoko''s life was ruined, it is almost impossible to believe in the ending of the 4th book of the tetralogy. I just can't imagine how could Satoko behave like that after all that happened to her in the book one.

My English, in the last couple of years, due to my lack of practice, has gotten a little bit rusty. I apologize in advanced for any lax grammatical structures. I've only read so far the first two books of the tetralogy, so I'm hanging loose on the last's book ending.

Being Buddhism a harsh disciplinary doctrine, rather than a theological dogma. In the moment Satoko receives the tonsure (sacramental process religious conversion and head shaving) she vows to the Buddha that she will forget Kiyoaki, granted she will never see him again. The abbess -whom I personally do not consider a witch-, parting from buddhist ideals, had to make that difficult choice in order to protect Satoko's promise. And, in a less objetive matter, if Kiyoaki would've seen Satoko it's really plausible he'd have lived, ergo erasing any possible plot in Runaway Horses.

Carlos, your English is just fine so don't worry. It's not my mother language too ;)

As to the ending, you'll see it when you read the book 4. And I agree that killing Kiyoaki in the book 1 was nesessary for Mishima to compose books 2-4. But 1) we never see Satoko making this vow - only the abbess says she did it, but not Satoko confesses she did it, and we hear her sobbing in the background while Honda talks to the abbess, so possibly Satoko regretted the situation and wished to see Honda, not staying helplessly backstage. Maybe the authority of the abbess made Satoko avoid of this meeting despite her real feelings and desires. And 2) as I already said, Satoko made no vow to avoid meeting with Honda, so she could come and say something to Honda, not to Kiyoaki. She could appear and with the help of Honda send Kiyoaki a message of some kind, relieving both his and her suffering souls. The last words of forgiveness, the last farewell, something to soothe the agony. She knew he suffered much as well as herself so no vow prohibited her to be merciful and send a farewell message through Honda. If she was unwilling to meet anyone, she could write it and give it through the abbess to Honda, after all. But she has been silent as rock.

The reason the Abbess refused to let Satoko see Kiyoaki or Honda was that her loyalties - if they can be said to lie with any human rather than just Buddha - were definitely with Satoko who had joined the convent. If she had allowed Satoko to see Kiyoaki or anyone acting as his envoy, she would risk a relapse into the confusion and unhappiness that had taken over her life prior to joining the Gesshu temple. Satoko has just undergone a few awful traumas all in the space of a few weeks and she had finally found peace and solace in the temple. To taint that with reminders of her former life after she had begged for help and renounced Kiyoaki and her love for him would not really serve any purpose except Kiyoaki's. I suspect that while the Abbess fully understood the depth of Kiyoaki's passion, she also understood that any passion so extreme is an illusion, and a selfish one at that. Kiyoaki was more in love with an idea and an obsession that with Satoko the person. And even so, without Satoko's reciprocity, seeing her would not fulfill his desires.

The Abbess understood that while Satoko's desires may well be reawakened by a meeting with Kiyo or Honda, these desires would only lead to more impossible misery for both of them. Having gotten Satoko's heartfelt permission to protect her from exposure to these desires, the Abbess was only doing her job and what she believed to be the right thing.