When you don't have anything planned for the day, what would you do? I happen to read books and research on something unimportant or explorer the city. While I have been living in Tokyo forever and am a Tokyo native, I still enjoy exploring the city. Anyway, this morning, on my way to the gym, I stopped by this temple that has this statue. Let me introduce King of Hell named "Enma" to you. This is supposed to be the king sitting at the entrance part of hell. So when the death is sent to hell, s/he meets this king and is determined how sinful s/he is. If s/he has ever told a lie in the past, Enma (The king) will cut her/his tongue off. So my father used to take me to this temple to tell me it's always no-no to lie. I was scared to see this statue when I was little. So I guess my father's intetion worked well with this. But I think this belief has to be updated is what I thought this morning. Because you can never not lie these days. This one time, someone asked me
"Are you interested in going to that fantabulous italian dinner with us?" I'd say "Oh, I'd love to but I have something planned" which is so much nice than
"You always talk about yourself and bore the others to death. I'd rather eat dinner alone " which is the truth. If I was not allowed to lie, I'd be bad at socializing. So when I saw this thing, I thought "You must be very busy to cut everyone's tongue." But I still think it's nice to educate kids with this statue's story. I wouldn't call it a double-standard because kids eventually find out how dirty the adult world is :-) You have a fantabulous day with good lies!
If I had seen that king of hell as child I would have been very afraid too. So is it only IF you get sent to hell you will meet him? Then I think you don't have anything to worry about. Unless this person reads your blog and finds out what you've been saying about them... Nah, nothing to worry about!
PS: Gambatte ne! For whatever decisions you make for your future. And release the stress that have built up from the past six years.
Lane
What a great statue! And what are those very large, scary looking tongs over to the right? For holding your tongue? Eeek!
TK
i can see this statue has no tongue either! i wonder why!
nv
Eeeeeeek!!! ;)
Lying is bad and our parents always tells us that HELL is waiting for us if we even say the word lie BUT heh they are the ones who are probably lie the most!! :-) I say lying is part of the deal to get out of things that we don't really want to do or fessed up!!
So having said that - you rock shigeki san! thanks for sharing a little bit of Tokyo and Japanese culture..... Adious
Yeah, I would have been very intimidated by that when I was young!! I think you're right, lying is such an integral part of society now ... In the West we use the term "white lie" to mean a lie which is considered not to be harmful or bad, or which is a slight exaggeration of truth; I suppose this is because so much lying goes these days that we need to differentiate severe lying from "harmless' Lying, or else people like your Enma (I really want to say enema!!) would be far too busy, and nobody would have any tongues!!
Is Japanese hell Shinto or Buddhist? My guess is Shinto, as I know a little more about buddhism and haven't seen a hell there yet, but I had no idea there was a Shinto hell around either .
Nice ironi though, the Divine retribution in stall for all the parents that use the statue to scare their kids not to lie by telling a lie to them... thes King of Hell must be really busy, eh?
Lying is the new black!
I remember being told that by my 'aunt' (mom and dad's old Japanese teacher) when I spent summers in Japan as a kid. She also said that the same thing would happen if I did not eat every grain of rice from my bowl :-) And that if I cut my finger nails at night, I would not be with my parents when they die, and to cover my thumb when a funeral car passes.....ah, memories ^_^
Hi Lane,
Well, according to the other religion I was taught, I'd definitely go to hell for myself being a homo? :-) Well, I wil see if I get to see him or not. Thanks. I haven't made any decisions precisely but I will live :-) You have a fantabulous day!
HI TK,
He was very scary :-) Yup, You guessed it right. that was the tongs to pull your tongue out :-) You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Envy,
I am sure he's got one but you know it's not detailed :-0 You have a fantabulous day!
HI TigerYogi,
Yup. You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Ian,
Wow, you must have been raised in a strict family.. :-) Well, lying is not bad but it can be bad on some occasions so we have to lie wisely :-) is all I think. :-) You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Tim,
Yup. white lie :-) But I use something darker every once in a while. :-) I am sure Enma had to come up with some other standards to lighten his workload :-) But calling him "enema" would make him totally mad :-) haha. You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Sven,
It's Japanese Buddhism actually. I wonder if there was any hell for Shinto.. I have to look. BUt anyway, I've been taught so many different stories about Buddhism hell but then these are very unique compared to other Buddhism... You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Goblinbox,
Oh yes. :-) But I don't do that frequently. I do when I have to :-) You have a fantabulous day!
Hi Fashmagslag,
In addition to those, there are so many other sayings. But I didn't cover my thum when a funeral car passes by :-) When I didn't eat every gran of rice, my mother used to tell me it would be a tragically sad thing for farmers to know you didn't finish the rice. :-) You have a fantabulous day!
the hell kings do more then pull out your tongue. there is all sorts of punishments like dropping u into boiling oil if u are a whore, bashing u with spike clubs if u steal, skinning if u are bad to your parents :P