The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-09
THE HE'LL OF BUDDHISM.
The King of Jigoku and the Powers
He Is Thought to Possess.
How He Was Deposed by Sinners-A Jug
gler Who Swallowed Mountain
of Needles.

Yokohama Correspondence San Francisco Chronicle.
The Buddhist hell is a hot place, indeed,
if the popular conception of it is any way
correct The term Jigoku is applied to the
locality. Whether it is above the earth or
in the bowels thereof seems to be according
to the personal notion of the individual.
There are eight principal districts or prov
inces in Jlgoku, and these are subdivided
into 128 minor precincts There is supposed
to be king who rules over the place, who
has his counselors and ministers, as earthly
potentates do. In fact, the state of affairs of
Jigoku appear to be administered upon
feudal plans The head man, devil and king,
is known under the name of Yemmao, who
lives in palace over forty miles in length
and breadth, that is surrounded by meats
and walls of granite forty yards in height,
and f1apked with towers of immense strength.
1t would appear as if the King of
Jigoku feared some power outside mis- do
minions and had fortified his private residence
against attacks that might be made against
it. From stories of the goings-on it must
really be as insecure for the king to reside
there as it is for the Emperor of all the Rus
sias to remain within the boundaries of his
domains. Accounts of fierce wars in hell
commensurate with the great numbers of
subjects residing there.
There Is story told, and no doubt believed
by some, that not over three centuries ago
there was an instruction in Jigoku, headed
by warriors of renown who had the fortune
to find themselves in the place after they had
done with the affairs of this life, and who did
not stomach the torments which were inhict-
ed upon them by their tormentors, acting
under orders of King Yemmao. The prepar-
atoms made by these leaders were on grand
scale. They enlisted all the workers in iron
they could learn of, and after stealing all the
iron utensils that could be stolen, the
iron-workers made spears and swords to arm
the insurgents. This was all done in
one night, and the army of conspirators, to
the number of more than ten millions, were
marshaled in four divisions and marched
against the palace of Yemmao, which was
garrisoned by about five millions of demons.
As Belshazzar was surprised while feasting,
so was Yemmao. He, with his demon crew,
were having high time banqueting when
the forces of the rebel insurgents assaulted
the palace walls. CONSERVATION took possess
sion of the devils for the moment as they
comprehended the situation but the walls
and defenses were filled with an i'm
mense multitude to resist the onslaught that
was being made by the rebels.
They used all the modes of defense known
to them; but they had not the experience
having been outside the confines OF Jigoku,
it did not take long for the veteran warriors
from earth to make breach in the wall and
storm the entire works. Sad havoc was
wrought in hell that night. The palace was
set on fire and entirely consumed. and the
whole territory devastated. The account
given OF the magniticeDce of Jigoku is mar
Vicious one. The city Of the New Jerusalem,
as described by St. John the Evangel-
ist was not more beautiful than was
Jigoku. 1t had its palaces of fabulous
beauty, sculptured and adorned in the high
est style of art known to Japanese minds.
Gold and silver and precious stones were the
materials, and such lacquer-work was never
known elsewhere; all that would beautify
the place had been utilized. so that it is with
out wonder that we are told that Yemmao
was wild with modification at the capture
OF the pride of his eye, where he had held
sway for the cycles of time which had wit
messed his authority. 1t is said that he made
his escape by jumping from the ramparts of
his palace walls, together with some millions
of his demons, and made his way with them
to a broad and deep river called Sandsu
After crossing this river they could there
make an effectual stand in case they were
again attacked but Yemmao was in fault in
his reckoning, as these subjects in rebellion
had learned on earth more than he ever knew
Ship-carpenters were called for and so many
presented themselves for duty that they con-
structed in two days over thousand large
junks, each capable of carrying hundred
souls. With dismay the King of the demons
saw this fleet being prepared and he
thought it high time to seek for assistance
from the gods in paradise or Gokuraku
as it is termed by the Japanese, and he
asked in vain; no assistance was extended to
him in any manner, his messengers even
never returned to tell him why. In the shock
OF the fiercest battle that ragged on the banks
of the Sandsu river, Yemmao and his host of
demons we're completely routed, and thence
forth for many year there was no punish
ment inflicted in Jigoku, but it was thought
best by the gods after a rebellion had been
put down in Gokurahu, which had been in
cited by some disconnected denizens of that
place, TO reinstate Yemmo in power again in
Jigoku, so they mustered all the demons who
had escaped destruction in the war when il
goku was destroyed and Amida and his
hosts of immortals were over twenty years in
reconstructing it and making it equal to its
former magnifcence, and providing imple-
ments of torture fit for the punishment of
the victims who might be consigned for chas-
tisement. The new Jigoku, or rather the
new city where resides the King, is said to
be fully as elegant as his old quarters were.
His throne is covered with plates of
solid gold, and at the four corners
towers of diamonds and rubies are standing.
On the left side of the throne is pair of
scales the weight of a thought would turn, in
which are weighed the merits and dement's
of mortals, and on the right hand is mir
ror in which is reflected all the good or evil
which has been committed in this world by
those who stand before it. Before Yemmao,
on the table, there are two heads, known as
Mirume and Kaguhana. These heads are
the judges of men. Mirume has eyes, and
judges by sight; Kaguhana is blind and de-
termines by the sense of smelling
If man has lived bad life he is sent into
one of the 12S districts pertaining to Jigoku,
while good record is a passport into the
realm of Gokuraku, to enjoy the blessings of
eternal felicity. Owing to the description
given of Jigoku, it is beyond the comprehen-
sion of any one to definitely locate it, 1t is
coid TO ,ax, aYixr hat . II.