Tsukarai

**Tsukarai** [次况; つからい] is the Kantonese word for the land of the dead. According to Kiren mythology as recorded in the Book of Ōhaki, this is where the souls of the deceased go in the afterlife. Once one has spent seven days and seven nights in Tsukarai, it is impossible to return to the plane of the living. Tsukarai is not a permanent home for the souls of the deceased, after seven days they are directed to either hell [*saikei*] or heaven [*shino*]. During the week-long period directly after passing into the afterlife, they may be able to communicate with the living. However, this becomes difficult or impossible as time wears on.

Tsukarai cannot be thought of as a paradise to which one would wish to go to, nor can it described as a hell in which one suffers damnation for past misdeeds - although both realms exist in the Kiren religion. It is more akin to purgatory, a realm in which the fate of a recently-passed soul is decided upon [i.e., whether they will go to heaven or hell for all eternity]. This decision is made by Biseishin, the lord of the underworld and his holy judges, the *okaraikami*. Many scholars believe that the image of Tsukarai was derived from ancient Kantonese burial customs, when corpses were left to decompose for some time in large, dark tombs.

The characters used in the word *tsukarai*, 次况, literally mean 'next world', or 'next state [of existence]'. The plane itself is considered part of the Yōijō [由昆矩, "Tiers of the Universe"] which include: Kumoshino, the celestial realm of the gods, Heibaku, the realm of humans and animals on Earth, and Tsukarai, the realm of deceased souls located underground. While the holiest and most powerful deities rule over both Earth and the celestial realm, the underworld is ruled by the *kami* Biseishin, son of Uigami the moon god. It is traditionally believed that Tsukarai can be reached by living souls if one undergoes a special ritual trance, during which the heart of a shaman stops, and he ceases to respond to external stimuli in the earthly realm. This trance was once used to open communication channels with the spirits of the dead and receive omens or messages.

Despite the fact that Tsukarai is typically described in ancient texts as being 'dark', 'gloomy', 'full of shadows' and 'filled with a strange and unholy feeling', it is not considered a particularly polluted or evil place. However, the compounded effect of so many dead souls inhabiting the place is thought to create a decidedly disagreeable atmosphere, especially noticeable to the living. In geographical detail it is supposedly identical to Earth, but cast in an eternal darkness. This darkness is explained by the fact that it lies at the very bottom of the Yōijō planes, unexposed to the celestial light of Kumoshino (e.g. sunlight).

## Death in Kiren

In order to cross from the living world to the realm of the dead, it is imperative that a deceased soul's body is burned [cremated] soon after the soul has left. The traditional period of time between a person's death and their cremation is three days; during this time, their body will be dressed with oils and wrapped in silk gauze. It is also customary for a person to be burned with their most treasured possession, such as an expensive garment or a book. This symbolises their loss of attachment to the material, emotional world.

Cremation is thought to release a soul from the body of the deceased. If cremation is not performed, the soul will become trapped inside, and will soon reanimate itself as a vengeful or malicious spirit, disturbed by its lack of funeral rites. After undergoing ritual cremation and passing into the underworld, a soul will be judged by the lord Biseishin and the *okaraikami*, who decide whether the person belongs in heaven [*shino*] or hell [*saikei*].