- Red Bridge to cross the Sanzu River - The Sanzu River (三途の川), or River of Three Crossings, is a Japanese Buddhist tradition and religious belief. It is believed that on the way to the afterlife, the dead must cross the river, which is why a Japanese funeral includes placing six coins in the deceaseds casket. According to the Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, traditionally, people are said to cross on the seventh day after their death. It has three crossing points: a bridge, a ford, and a spot where there is only deep serpent-infested water. Where one crosses depends on the weight of ones offenses while alive. Those who performed acts of good while alive cross over a bridge adorned with seven precious substances. Those whose karmic balance of good and evil is relatively even cross at a ford. Those who committed great evil must wade through deep water infested with hideous serpents. On the bank, a male demon and a female demon dwell under a large tree. The female, named Datsue-ba, strips the dead of their clothes, and the male, named Keneō, hangs the clothes on a branch of the tree to determine the weight of their offenses. kunin-jj.org
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:38:12 +0000
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