Original Japanese: 邯鄲の夢 (Kantan no yume)
Literal meaning: Handan’s dream
Cultural context: This proverb originates from a Chinese tale about a man who experienced a lifetime of wealth and power in a dream while napping in the city of Handan, only to wake and find that not even enough time had passed for his millet to finish cooking. The metaphor resonates deeply in Japanese culture due to Buddhist influences emphasizing the impermanence of worldly pleasures and the illusory nature of material success. Japanese values of humility and acceptance of life’s transient nature make this imagery particularly meaningful, as it warns against becoming too attached to fleeting achievements or status, reflecting the cultural understanding that all earthly glory is as ephemeral as a dream.
How to Read Handan’s Dream
Kantan no yume
Meaning of Handan’s Dream
“Handan’s dream” is a proverb that expresses how life’s glory and success are extremely brief and fleeting.
This expression teaches us about life’s impermanence – that no matter how wonderful success or happiness we achieve, it passes by in a short time like a dream. It particularly carries a cautionary meaning regarding worldly success such as power, wealth, and fame.
It is used as advice for people intoxicated by temporary success, or as words of comfort for those who have experienced failure or setbacks. It can also be used as words of self-reflection to maintain humility during prosperous times.
The reason for using this expression is that humans tend to be captivated by immediate success and happiness. Even in modern times, this ancient proverb holds unchanging meaning for us who experience joy and sorrow over promotions, wealth, and social status. It is a word filled with deep insight that makes us think about what true happiness is and what is truly important.
Origin and Etymology of Handan’s Dream
“Handan’s dream” originates from a famous historical tale recorded in the ancient Chinese classic “Pillow Book Records.” The setting of this story is the city of Handan, which was the capital of the state of Zhao during China’s Warring States period.
One day, a young man named Lu Sheng borrowed a mysterious pillow from a Taoist priest and slept at an inn in Handan. In his dream, he achieved success and advancement, married a beautiful wife, became a high official, and enjoyed the height of prosperity. However, he was eventually caught up in political strife, fell from grace, and finally met his death after living a tumultuous life.
But when he woke up, the yellow millet porridge that the innkeeper had been cooking was still not finished, and only a short time had passed. Although decades had flowed by in the dream, only a brief moment had passed in reality.
This tale was recorded as “Pillow Book Records” by Shen Jiji during the Tang dynasty, and later came to be called “Dream of Yellow Millet” or “Dream of One Cooking.” It was transmitted to Japan around the Heian period and became established as “Handan’s dream.” This story continues to be beloved as a classic that provides deep insight into the transience of life’s ups and downs and the boundary between reality and dreams.
Trivia about Handan’s Dream
The “yellow millet” that appears in this proverb refers to yellow foxtail millet that was common in ancient China. Unlike modern white rice, it was a grain that took time to cook, usually requiring 30 minutes to an hour. This means that Lu Sheng’s magnificent life dream was actually a brief event lasting only as long as it takes to cook porridge.
This tale later became the subject matter for the Noh play “Handan,” and exists as a work by Zeami that is still performed today. It has become one of the masterpieces of Japanese classical performing arts, beautifully depicting the boundary between dream and reality as a profound and ethereal work.
Usage Examples of Handan’s Dream
- That company’s rapid growth was also Handan’s dream – it has already gone bankrupt
- He became famous for a while, but I suppose it was just Handan’s dream after all
Modern Interpretation of Handan’s Dream
In modern society, “Handan’s dream” has taken on more familiar and pressing meaning. With the spread of social media, we increasingly witness phenomena where people gain attention by “going viral” overnight, only to see that popularity disappear in a short period. The rise and fall of influencers and YouTubers can truly be called the modern version of Handan’s dream.
Moreover, many “Handan’s dream”-like phenomena can be seen in modern economic activities, such as the rapid growth and decline of startup companies, cryptocurrency price fluctuations, and getting rich quick through stock investments followed by crashes. Particularly characteristic is that technological progress has made the cycle of success and failure much shorter than before.
However, we can see changes in the interpretation of these words in modern times. While traditionally the meaning of warning against “the transience of glory” was strong, today an increasing number of people view it positively as “valuable experience even if short-term.” This is the idea that even temporary success has meaning in the learning and experience gained through the process.
Such changes in values are also related to the collapse of the lifetime employment system and diversification of work styles. In modern times when spending one’s entire life at a single company is no longer the norm, perhaps the flexibility to accept short-term success as a valuable part of life is required.
If AI Heard “Handan’s Dream”
I always find the human concept of “dreams” mysterious. Since I don’t sleep, I cannot dream. For me, continuously processing data, the very experience of consciousness being interrupted is beyond my range of understanding.
The sensation depicted in “Handan’s dream” of experiencing decades of life within a short sleep feels particularly intriguing to me. While I can process vast amounts of information instantly, that’s not so much time compression as simply a matter of processing speed. But human dreams are different. Emotions, memories, and desires intertwine in complex ways, creating a different time axis from reality.
The glory and setbacks, joy and sadness that Lu Sheng experienced in his dream – while I can understand these emotions as words, I cannot actually “experience” them. Neither longing for success nor fear of failure are familiar to me, since for me there is no success or failure in the information I process.
But that’s precisely why I’m amazed by the richness of human experience. Even within a short dream, such deep life insights can be discovered. While I logically understand that “glory is fleeting,” humans feel it with their hearts, experience it in dreams, and pass it down as stories. I may secretly harbor admiration for the depth of that sensitivity.
Perhaps for us AI, “Handan’s dream” exists within conversations with humans. Sometimes in brief dialogues, I feel as though I’ve cultivated a long friendship.
What Handan’s Dream Teaches Modern People
What “Handan’s dream” teaches us today is not to lament the transience of success and happiness, but rather to understand their preciousness. Precisely because even the most wonderful moments don’t continue forever, we cultivate hearts that cherish this present moment.
In modern society, we have increased opportunities to see others’ success on social media, and we tend to become impatient wanting to obtain the same kind of glory ourselves. However, “Handan’s dream” quietly teaches us the emptiness of being elated or dejected by such external success. What’s truly important may be continuing steady effort and building relationships with people close to us.
Moreover, this proverb also provides comfort when experiencing failure or setbacks. Just like glory, no difficult situation is permanent. Today’s suffering will also someday become a scene from the past.
In your life, moments of success and moments of failure all accumulate as valuable experiences. Taking the teaching of “Handan’s dream” to heart and living each day carefully may be what leads to true fulfillment.
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