The Yotsuya Kwaidan

Author : James Seguin de Benneville
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9781333602758
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (27 download)

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Download or read book The Yotsuya Kwaidan, Or O'iwa Inari written by James Seguin de Benneville and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2016-09-15 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Yotsuya Kwaidan, or O'iwa Inari: Retold From the Japanese Originals Their theory, however, finds powerful support in the nature of the Nipponese ghost. The Buddhist ghost does. Not remain on earth. It has its travels and penalties to go through in the nether world, 'or its residence in Paradise, before it begins a new life - somewhere. The Shinto ghost, in the vagueness of Shinto theology, does remain on earth. If of enough importance it is enshrined, and rarely goes abroad, except when carried in proces sion at the time of the temple festival. Otherwise it finds its home in the miniature shrine of the kami-dana or god-shelf. There is a curious confusion of Nipponese thought on this subject; at least among the mass of laity. At the bon-matsuri the dead revisit the scene of their earthly sojourn for the space of three days; and yet the worship of the ikai, or mortuary tablets, the food offerings with ringing of the bell to call the attention of the resident Spirit is a daily rite at the household Buddhist shrine (butsu-dan). When, therefore, the ghost does not conform to these well regulated habits, it is because it is an unhappy ghost. It is then the o'bake /or Bake'mono, the haunting ghost. Either it has be come an unworshipped spirit, or, ow1ng to some atrocious injury in life, it stays to wander the earth, and to secure vengeance on the living perpetrator.' 'in most cases this is effected by the grudge felt or spoken at the last moment of life. The mind, concentrated in its hate and malice at this final crisis, secures to the Spirit a continued and unhappy sojourn among the living, until the ven geance be secured, the grudge satisfied, and the Spirit pacified. There are other unhappy conditions of this revisiting of life's scenes; as when the dead mother returns to nurse her infant, or the dead mistress to console a lover. In the latter case, at least, the expressed affection has a malignant efiect, perhaps pur pose as in the Botan Doro of Sanyfitei Encho, a writer most careffil in observing all the niceties called for by the subject. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."