Everything is on pause right now. I just started school, and I’m busy, exhausted, and distracted by several major problems with no immediate solution. As such, I will not have time in the next few weeks to make any significant progress on my fanfiction.
Mugen, Jin, and Fuu are often in my thoughts. No Roads Where We’re Going is a huge story; we’re not even half way through it yet. I have so much more planned. At this rate though, it will probably take a couple of years to finish it. It’ll be one of those long running fics with sporadic updates.
Edward is still in my thoughts too. I’ve got the next two chapters planned and outlined for Barefoot Cowgirl, but I’ve had difficulty filling in the details. It will happen eventually.
If you’re a reader who’s in it for the long haul with No Roads or Barefoot Cowgirl, then get yourself a Fanfiction.net account (if you don’t already have one), and click “Follow story” at the end of any chapter. You’ll get an alert in your inbox each time an update is posted. Alternately, you can always check my FFN profile for the latest status.
Between updates, if you’re really jonesing for new information, you’re welcome to ask questions about the story. I might even provide spoilers if you ask for it. Just be sure to tell me how far ahead you want to go, so I don’t inadvertently spoil too much. (There will be some big reveals later in the story.)
Feel like encouraging me? Write a review, send me a private message on FFN, or send me a message here on Tumblr. I’d love to hear from you.
That’s all for now. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read my stories.
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Those who have died and are deemed unworthy of rebirth in the five upper Buddhist realms find themselves in the worst afterlife of all: Jigoku, the Buddhist hell.
Jigoku (地獄) is a Japanese term, similar in meaning to the Chinese concept of Diyu, which evolved from the Hindu and Buddhist concept of Naraka, a Sanskrit word loosely translated to “underworld” [12].
There are “eight great hells” in Jigoku, also known as the eight hot hells. Each level is more severe in its punishments than the level before it.
Souls that enter Jigoku will go through three trials and be judged to determine if they can be released from hell. If a soul fails to pass a trial, it must wait for a specified length of time before the next trial. Those who fail all three of these final tests, either through their own faults or from lack of prayers by their living relatives, are damned to remain in hell for a very long time before they can be reborn into one of the five other realms [6][8].
Judgment of Souls
The Eight Great Hells
Different levels of hell within Jigoku are reserved for different crimes, each with a different horrific punishment. The final judgment determines how far down into Jigoku a soul will travel [6][8].
Toukatsu Jigoku – The Reviving Hell
Kokujou Jigoku – The Hell of Black Rope or Black Threads
Shugou Jigoku – The Crushing Hell
Kyoukan Jigoku – The Screaming Hell
Dai-kyoukan Jigoku – The Hell of Great Screaming
Jounetsu Jigoku – The Burning Hell
Dai-jounetsu Jigoku – The Great Burning Hell
Mugen Jigoku – The Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering
Toukatsu Jigoku (等活地獄), the Reviving Hell, is reserved for those who commit the sin of killing, even the killing of an animal. Here, the ground is ever hot and burning [8][14].
Kokujou Jigoku (黒縄地獄), the Hell of Black Threads, is for those who have not only killed but also committed the sin of theft. Here, oni (demons / ogres) knock the souls onto the hot ground and mark lines on their body with black threads. Then, using axes and saws, the bodies are hacked to pieces along the markings made by the threads [8][14].
Shugou Jigoku (衆合地獄), the Crushing Hell, is reserved for those who have killed, stolen, and also committed the sin of lewdness. The suffering here is ten times greater than the previous hell, with the occupants being crushed repeatedly between mountains of iron, being pulverized into a bloody jelly [8][14].
Kyoukan Jigoku (叫喚地獄), the Screaming Hell, is for murders, thieves, lechers, and alcoholics. The suffering here is ten times stronger than Shugou Jigoku. Sinners are thrown into boiling pots or locked up in iron chambers and roasted by oni. Those who committed crimes while drunk have their mouths wrenched open and molten iron is poured into their bellies [8][14].
Dai-kyoukan Jigoku (大叫喚地獄), the Hell of Great Screaming, contains murderers, thieves, debauchers, drunks, and liars. Again, the suffering here is ten times worse than the previous hell. The tongues of the damned are pierced with iron nails and stretched and torn from their bodies, after which they grow back and are immediately pierced and torn again [8][14].
Souls burning in Jigoku
Jounetsu Jigoku (焦熱地獄), the Burning Hell, contains killers, robbers, perverts, drunkards, liars, and those who have acted with cruelty or held thoughts or beliefs contrary to Buddhist teachings. Tortured souls are beaten with red-hot iron clubs. Hot skewers are thrust through their mouths and out their anuses, and they are broiled over a great sea of fire [8][14].
Dai-jounetsu Jigoku (大焦熱地獄), the Hell of Great Burning, is a hotter and more severe version of Jounetsu Jigoku. The suffering here is equivalent to ten times more than all of the higher hells combined. In addition to all of the crimes listed above, this plane of hell is reserved for those who have inflicted physical crimes against Buddhist clergy [8][14].
Mugen Jigoku (無間地獄), the Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering, is the eighth and deepest circle of hell. It is reserved for the absolute worst criminals — murders of their own parents; killers of saints; those who have betrayed every single Buddhist precept. The souls down here are so hungry and thirsty that they tear apart their own bodies and drink their own blood in a useless attempt to ease their suffering [8][14].
Souls falling into Mugen Jigoku, the eighth great hell
Jigoku in Japanese Culture
Over the course of Japanese history, the hells of Jigoku have been represented in religious texts, art, media, and even the physical world.
The Hell Scrolls are ancient illustrated documents depicting the hells of Jigoku. Both of them are thought to have been created in the 12th century by unknown artists. One is located at the Tokyo National Museum, and another is kept at the Nara National Museum [3][4].
A scene from one of the Hell Scrolls
The 1960 movie Jigoku (English Title: The Sinners in Hell) was unique among horror films of its time due to its graphic and gory depictions of hell. Tales of murder, adultery, revenge and deceit are all twisted together and pretty much the whole cast gets their comeuppance [6].
Hōzuki no Reitetsu is a manga and anime about a demon working for Enma the King of Hell. It’s a comedy that plays on many specific Japanese tropes, such as the story of Momotaro. Central to the plot is the different levels of hell and the bureaucracy required to keep them all running smoothly. The focus is firmly on the demons, not the sinners [6].
An illustrated children’s book called A Picture Book of Jigoku, published in 1980, depicts the punishments of Jigoku. Traditionally, many Japanese parents tell their children that they will go to hell if the do something wrong. This book really drives the point home. Some parents use it to scare their children straight by showing them graphic images of the violent tortures that would be inflicted on them if they go to Jigoku [1][10].
An illustration from the children’s book, A Picture Book of Jigoku [1]
(Would you show this to your children?)
There are a number of popular tourist destinations with geographic features said to resemble or represent the different levels of hell. One such area is called Beppu, Japan’s “hot spring capital” [2]. The hot springs of the Beppu Hells are far hotter than most hot springs you can visit in Japan. If you mistook them for onsen hot springs and tried to take a bath, you would have a very bad time [6]. Each spring is distinctive, with billowing steam, spewing hot clay mud or gushing high temperature hot water, rich with iron oxide [7]. Ironically, the Hells of Beppu are nationally designated as a “Place of Scenic Beauty” [13].
Chinoike-Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell) at Beppu [2]
Incessant Condemnation
Unlike the Christian hell, damnation in Jigoku is not eternal; the dead are sentenced to fixed periods of time in one region or to several regions in succession. The sentences can be shortened by the intervention of bodhisattvas (those destined to become enlightened) in response to the prayers of the living [5]. Souls whose crimes in life were sinful enough to warrant a journey to Mugen Jigoku, the eighth and most severe level of hell, are not likely to be granted any such reprieve.
Mugen Jigoku is so far down that it takes 2000 years of falling head first to reach it [8][14]. Once there, a soul will spend many thousands of years trapped in the depths of bloody agony and hellfire. When a soul finally leaves the eighth realm and returns to the cycle of reincarnation, their suffering will follow them into their next lives. For the worst of the worst criminals, it might take multiple lifetimes of rebuilding one’s karma to overcome the everlasting torment of Jigoku.
Author’s Notes:
Samurai Champloo fans please note: Mugen (無間) in this case is not the same word as Mugen’s name (無幻). Notice that the second kanji character is different. These are homophones; two words that happen to be pronounced the same way, but have different meanings.
Tumblr does not allow links to named anchors within the same webpage, so I was not able to link the inline citation numbers to the corresponding numbered references in the bibliography. As a workaround, I’ve simply included inline citation numbers in regular font without links.
Each image caption is linked to the webpage where I found it, all of which are included in the bibliography.
All Japanese kanji come from ウィキペディア (Japanese language Wikipedia) [14] and Tangorin, the most kick-ass Japanese dictionary I’ve found [11].
Bibliography:
1. Ashcraft, Brian. “This Japanese Children’s Book Will Give You Hellish Nightmares.” kotaku.com. November 9, 2012. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://kotaku.com/5959118/this-japanese-childrens-book-will-give-you-hellish-nightmares/
2. Chong Lau, Yuen. “The 8 fiery ‘hells’ of Beppu, Japan’s hot spring capital.” CNN.com. March 18, 2014. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/02/travel/japan-beppu-springs/
3. eMuseum: National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties of National Museums, Japan. “Hell Scroll (Tokyo National Museum).” emuseum.jp. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100155/001/000?x=2170&y=-66&s=1
4. eMuseum: National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties of National Museums, Japan. “Hell Scroll (Nara National Museum).” emuseum.jp. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100237/001/000?x=3433&y=-66&s=1
5. Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. “Jigoku." britannica.com. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://www.britannica.com/topic/Jigoku.
6. Lane, Verity. “GO TO (JAPANESE) HELLS! FROM SHINTO TO BUDDHIST, FROM VOLCANIC TO ANIMATRONIC, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN JAPANESE HELLS.” June 17, 2015. Accessed June 17, 2016. tofugu.com. https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-hells/
7. Japan National Tourism Organization. “Jigoku meguri.” Japan: The Official Guide. jnto.go.jp. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/hotspri/jigokumeguri.html
8. Meyer, Matthew. “Jigoku: Japanese Hell.” Matthew Meyer paintings, illustrations, and blog. March 2, 2014. Accessed June 17, 2016. http://matthewmeyer.net/blog/2014/03/02/jigoku-japanese-hell/.
9. Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers, 2006.
10. Sasaki, Sheena. “Education Before Schooling: Picture Books, Stories, and Nationalism.” JAPANsociology.com. February 4, 2014. Accessed June 17, 2016. https://japansociology.com/2014/02/04/education-before-schooling-picture-books-stories-and-nationalism/
12. Wikipedia. “Naraka (Buddhism).” wikipedia.org. Accessed June 17, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_(Buddhism).
13. Wikipedia. “List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Ōita).” wikipedia.org. Accessed June 17, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Places_of_Scenic_Beauty_of_Japan_(%C5%8Cita)
“It had never occurred to me before that music and thinking are so much alike. In fact you could say music is another way of thinking, or maybe thinking is another kind of music.”
What do you think? Was Light the good guy or the bad guy?
This article makes the case that Light Yagami was not an anti-hero whose noble intentions were corrupted by an evil force, but that he was in fact a villain, and it was always within his nature to become one. Very interesting!
