The Dark Side of Japan: Ancient Black Magic, Folklore, Ritual

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The Dark Side of Japan: Ancient Black Magic, Folklore, Ritual Page 8

by Antony Cummings


  After that, hold the rod in your right hand and take the cord of the whip in the left hand and put it across your breast. Then, with the dead person on the floor, move backwards seven steps and chant the Komyo shingon mantra seven times:

  On a-bokya be-i-ro-shano-u makabo-dara mani handoma jinbara harabaritaya un

  This is then followed by the next mantra ten times:

  Na-mu-amida-butsu

  Next chant the words of Meigo (words of delusion and enlightenment – unknown at this point) and wipe the whip three times with paper. Turn left so that you turn your back to the dead person and throw this rod away without taking it in your hand again. This is a way passed down from Zhang Liang.

  To send the spirit of a decapitated warrior safely to the afterlife, recite the following words to the soul of the person:

  看々きう業南無蘓礙なるかな、心をひるがへし又生死を離れしめよ

  (Behold what you have done in your previous life and how it is. You should change your mental state so that you will leave the matter of life or death behind)

  By doing this, no matter how malicious the head is, it will not harm you nor take its revenge.

  Death in Modern Japan

  In Japan, Buddhism controls death – funerals are mainly Buddhist and they are not cheap. It costs to keep a gravesite in a cemetery and rituals need to be performed a few times after the main funeral, making Buddhist funeral direction a very lucrative business to be in.

  When Japanese people die, they often do not use their names on their gravestones; instead they will posthumously be given a ‘death-name’.

  Food offerings left for the dead may be given to house elders or to pilgrims, but if children steal the food they will be cursed with a bad memory and stupidity.

  In some parts of Japan they search the bones of a cremation and look for a bone from the throat area; if it has a Buddha image on it, the person will be enlightened in the next life.

  To this day the dense forest of Aokigahara is a very popular destination for suicide, with 105 bodies found in 2003 alone. It is believed that the area was used for the practice of ubasute up to the nineteenth century; this is the practice of leaving elderly family members to die in a remote place. Their ghosts are said to haunt the place today.

  11

  ILL OMENS AND THE CHI OF DEATH

  A bad omen can be something mundane and normal. They came in many guises, and the Japanese even had specialists called gunbaisha (esoteric tactician) who were trained in seeing the chi of the sky and what the heavens had in store for an army. For instance, if a kite or crow comes towards you when you depart for battle, it is considered a greater bad sign. However, all will be well if it flies away immediately after you have shot at it with a Hikime (whistling arrow).

  Seeing Chi in the Sky

  Chi, or the concept of seeing chi in the sky, is a large part of Japanese culture. Generals would have gunbaisha observe the enemy, their positions, villages, castles and so on. Depending on the colour and the shape of their chi, these seers could predict what was to happen in any given building or describe what the situation was like inside. The following is a reduced collection of images with descriptions which have been taken from the Gunpo Jiyoshu military manual (c. 1619) and which concentrate on the darker outcomes to be found by observing chi in the sky. For the times listed in the text see the diagram on page 48.

  The Chi of the Death Fire

  As seen in the picture above, if the smoke is surrounding the house and is not rising up to the sky, it is greater bad luck and the lord may be killed in battle. Therefore, it is called the Death Fire.

  For all the four seasons: If the chi is black or white, you will be defeated completely within three days. The interpretation of blue, yellow or red chi in this instance remains a secret oral tradition. Also, if it rises from the hour of the Dragon to the hour of the Cock, you should be very careful. If it rises from the Dog to the Hare, then once again the interpretation remains shrouded in secrecy.

  The Chi of Retreat

  As seen in the picture overleaf, whether in a castle or a camp, if the smoke rises like a rod from the ridge of a roof, you should leave there as soon as possible. Therefore, it is called the chi of Retreat. If you stay long under this chi, you will meet a great disaster and a fire will likely occur.

  In spring: if it rises during the Hours of the Tiger and the Hare, many people of the clan will die; if during the Hours of the Dragon, the Snake or the Horse, you will have a hardship caused by fire. There is a secret oral tradition for the hours of the Ram and the Monkey that remains unknown. If from the Hours of the Cockerel to the Rat, there will be a disaster caused by fire.

  In summer: If it rises in the hour of the Dragon and lasts to the Ram, people will die; if it rises in the Hour of Monkey or Cockerel, there will be a disaster though fire. The interpretation for the hours from the Dog to the Rat remain unknown.

  In autumn: There will be a disaster by fire if it rises in the Hours of the Horse to the Dog. If it is present in the hour of the Boar, the Rat or the Ox, many people will die. If present in the hour of the Dragon or the Snake, the interpretation is unknown.

  In winter: If it comes in the hours from Cockerel to the Rat, many people will die, if from the Ox to the Horse then there is a secret oral tradition.

  This chi is always of white and black. If it is blue, yellow or red, then it is not the chi of Retreat. The explanation for this remains a closely guarded secret.

  The Chi of a Ninja or Yato

  The chi you see as trailing smoke in the picture above is the sign of an enemy coming to conduct a night attack or of shinobi (ninja) coming to set fires. Therefore, it is called the chi of the Yato (night thieves). The attack will take place within three days if it can be seen from the hours from the Cockerel to the Rat. If it is from the hours from Ox to Monkey, then watch out for the attack that night. The same holds true all through the seasons. The colour of the chi should be yellow or black. If it is blue, red or white, be careful for the first fifteen days of the next month.

  The Chi of a Fire Disaster

  If you have chi from a building as seen in the picture above, a fire will break out within the clan, or you will be ruined by a fire which is set by the enemy, so it is called the Chi of a Fire Disaster.

  In spring: If it is red or white, it is bad luck; if blue, yellow, or black then there is a secret oral tradition.

  In summer: Black or red is bad luck; there is secret oral tradition for blue, yellow and white.

  In autumn: Blue or red is bad luck; there is secret oral tradition for yellow, white and black.

  All through the four seasons: If it rises during the hour of the Snake, the Horse, the Monkey, the Cockerel, the Dog or the Boar, you should be careful for three days; if from the Rat to the Dragon, then be careful for seven days.

  The Chi of Raindrops

  As seen in the picture opposite, the chi that does not rise up but looks like rain drops is called the chi of Raindrops. It is the chi of disaster and disease.

  In spring: Red is a sign of disease, and black is for a fire disaster.

  In summer: Red is for fire, while black is a sign of disease.

  In autumn: Black is for disease while red is a sign of fire.

  In winter: Red is for disease while black is for fire. If blue, yellow or white it means the house or clan will be destroyed. The tradition covering this interpretation remains secret.

  The Chi of Flying Birds

  As seen in the picture above, the chi that looks like flying birds suggests that someone will betray you.

  In spring: There is a secret oral tradition for if the chi rises from the hour of the Tiger to the Ram.

  In summer: If it rises in the hours from the Horse to the Boar, retainers will betray a lord. There is a secret oral tradition for the hours from Rat to Snake.

  In autumn: If it rises from the hour of the Dog to the Hare, retainers will betray a lord. There is a secret oral tradition if it rises i
n the hours from Dragon to Cockerel.

  In winter: If it rises between the hour of the Cockerel and the Tiger, retainers will betray a lord. There is a secret oral tradition covering chi rising from the hour of the Hare to the Monkey.

  The Chi of Death

  As seen in the picture, if the chi is hanging towards the ground, it is a chi that represents the lord being killed in battle. It is therefore called the chi of Death, and you should not go to war after seeing this chi.

  In spring: If it is red, you should not fight on that day. If it is white, then do not battle within three days. If it is yellow, then the Hours of the Snake and the Horse are unlucky on that day. There is a secret oral tradition for blue or black.

  In summer: If it is black, it means bad luck for thirty days. If it is yellow, it means bad luck only on that day. If white, it means bad luck from the hour of the Cockerel to the hour of the Rat. There is a secret oral tradition for blue or red.

  In autumn: If blue, it means bad luck on that day; if yellow then it is bad luck within fifteen days. If red, then death will come after fifteen days. There is a secret oral tradition for white or black.

  In winter: If blue it means bad luck on that day, while yellow means bad luck for thirty days; if white, ill fortune is met within three days. There is a secret oral tradition for red and black.

  The Chi of Self-destruction

  If chi is rising as seen in the picture then you will have arguments among your allies and your army will be defeated unexpectedly, so it is called the Chi of Self-destruction.

  In spring: If it rises during the hour of the Snake or the Horse, it is a greater bad luck; if from the hour of the Ram to the Rat, there will be an argument but it will not lead to a defeat of the army. For the Hours of the Ox, the Tiger, the Hare and the Dragon there is a secret oral tradition.

  In summer: If in the hours from Cockerel to Rat, it is greater bad luck; if from Ox to Horse, the army will not be defeated. There is an oral tradition if it appears in the hour of the Ram or the Monkey.

  In autumn: From the Hours of the Rat to the Horse, it is greater bad luck; from the hour of the Ram or the Monkey, the army will not be defeated. There is an oral tradition for the hour of the Dog or Boar.

  The Chi of Flying Geese

  As seen in the picture above, if the chi looks like birds flying in the sky, it is called the Chi of Flying Geese.

  Through all the seasons: The colour should be white or black. If it is seen a disaster will break out within three days, so you should be careful, however there is a secret oral tradition for this.

  The Chi of a Loss of Souls

  If the chi rising looks like human heads in a cloud, many people beneath it will be killed in a battle, so it is called Chi of a Loss of Souls. Most likely, it looks like white heads in red clouds.

  In spring: If it rises from the hour of the Tiger to the Horse, the lord should be careful.

  In summer: If from the hour of the Cockerel to the Rat, then the lord should be careful.

  In autumn: If from the hour of the Cockerel to the Dog, the lord should be careful.

  In winter: If from the Dog to the Snake, the lord should still be careful. There is a secret oral tradition for every case.

  The Chi of the Colour of Death

  If smoke rises as seen in the picture above it concerns the devastation of a camp, so it is called the Chi of the Colour of Death. Most likely, it is said that the lord will be killed in a battle. However, if the colour of the chi is in the Cycle of Creation when matched with the chi colour of the lord, he will not be killed even if he is injured. If it is the opposite and it is in a Cycle of Destruction, your army will be unexpectedly defeated within two days and the lord will be killed. If it rises from the hour of the Rat to the Dragon, there will be a fire.

  The Chi of the Cucurbit

  The side that has chi rising as seen in the picture may be defeated by a night attack. If it is blue, you should be careful during the hour of the Rat on that day. If yellow, then be careful during the hour of the Ox. If red, then look to the hours from Boar to Rat. There is a secret oral tradition for white and black.

  The Chi of Two Birds

  This chi implies you may end up with mutual destruction and that your army may be too excitable. If it rises from the hour of the Hare to the Horse, you will not win in battle but the lord will also not be in danger. If ‘birds’ like these are ‘perching’ or have ‘fallen’ from the hour of the Ram to the Cockerel, the lord should be careful.

  The Chi of Ruin

  As seen in the picture above, it is a chi rising like a gathering of cut hair between heaven and the castle. If the or tip of the chi is pointing to the ground the lord will be destroyed, so it is called the Chi of Ruin. You should be careful. If it is black, disaster will occur within twenty-one days. If white, there is a secret oral tradition.

  The Chi of the End of Life

  If chi is hugging the ground vigorously and encircling the quarters like in the picture above, the lord will kill himself through seppuku. It is therefore called the chi of the End of Life. However, if the colour is in the Cycle of Destruction when compared to the lord’s chi colour, there can be no change to the event even if you pray; if it is in the Cycle of Creation when compared to the lord’s chi colour, then you should pray to the local guardian or to Heaven. A small, secret oral tradition is kept for this.

  The Gunpo Jiyoshu manual also states but does not illustrate the following:

  The Chi of Annihilation

  If there is no chi rising on the camp or castle and no ‘power’ can be felt from the people, like the aftermath of a big storm, a terrible thing will happen within three days. If there is no chi coming from your army or your enemy’s army and colour is not emanating, then this is the chi of Reconciliation. If the colours for both armies are emanating there will be a battle of annihilation so that the both lords will die on each other’s swords.

  Tips on Defence

  If someone comes and talks to you and you have a bitter taste in your mouth, you should know that the person is going to deceive and kill you.

  Whether in a camp or castle, if a bird calls three times, you should be all right. If you hear more calls, it is bad luck. You should throw up your defences as soon as possible and have night patrols or other, more strict measures put in place.

  When stars are near to the moon, the army on the same side as the stars will be defeated. You should send out a night attack against your enemy if this is the case.

  Do not go to the direction where there are no stars. Also, on a cloudy night, do not head for the direction where the clouds are shining.

  The Luck of Watch Fires

  If a watch fire has twin pointed flames and is whitish in colour, it is a bad sign.

  Even if the watch fire is big, if it has no distinct core in its flames but is just burning feebly, it is bad luck. Alternatively, even if it is not a big fire but has a core which is rising upright, then this is good luck.

  If black smoke rises from the edge of the watch fire and obscures the fire itself, it is called the chi of Conflict and is a greater bad luck. You will be defeated severely on the next day if this is the case.

  The Luck of Flags

  When being given a flag on the way to battle, the receiver should not receive it palm-up but should have his hand palm-down. Receiving with the right hand and turning to the left is bad luck. You should receive it palm-down with the left hand and turn to the right; this assures greater good luck.

  If an arrow pierces a flag on your side, attack the enemy quickly so you can defeat them. If an arrow shot from your side pierces a flag of the enemy, the person should unstring the bow immediately and you should abandon the battle on that day.

  Bringing an enemy flag to your side is a bad action. If you need to, cut it into three, fold the pieces and bury them. Use the ritual of kuji kiri and pray on that site.

  Understanding the Luck of a Flag in the Wind

  If it turns like this, you will
win after a long battle.

  If it turns like this, your victory is close at hand.

  If it turns around like this, you should not give battle until the chi has changed.

  If it is upright like this (flying directly up above the banner pole), you will not fight during that day. If it moves toward your side it is half good luck, but if it turns toward the enemy go to battle immediately as the enemy will lose.

  If the flag is floating away from the pole as in the above picture, the direction the wind comes from is not bad luck; it is the other direction, of no wind, that is of ill luck.

  The Good or Bad Luck of Dogs’ Howling

  There is also good or bad luck attributed to the way a dog comes around the camp and howls. If the season and the direction are in a Cycle of Destruction then it is bad luck, while if they are in a Cycle of Creation it is good luck.

 

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