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Symposium of Post-mysticism/Part 4

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< Part 3: Rin Kaenbyou 
Part 3: On the Past and Present of Youkai, and Truly New Youkai 
 Symposium of Post-mysticism   Part 4: Parsee Mizuhashi
 Part 5: Are Religion and Faith Necessary to Gensokyo?
>

A number of the same kanji around Utsuho: "God" (). The kanji near Utsuho's left arm: "Utsuho" (). The kanji near Kanako's waist: "Kanako" (神奈子). The romaji in the top right side of Utsuho's head: "KAMI" (lit. "god"). The kanji in the top right side of Kanako's head: Sai () (a kanji in the word "hypnosis" ()). The word in the left of the crow: "Yatagarasu" (八咫烏).

第四部
嫌われ者の現状と行く末

Part IV
The Present and Future of the Hated

Marisa

地底は酷いところだった。ろくな妖怪も居ないし、暑いわ寒いわ湿気てるわで環境も最悪。容赦なく人間を殺しにかかってくるし……そう言えば、みんなは地底に行ったりした事があるのか?

The underground was terrible. There were no decent youkai, and the environmental conditions were awful, everything from hot to cold to humid. Not to mention everyone trying to kill humans like me. Come to think of it, have any of you ever been down there?

Miko

地底にはまだ行った事がないけど、地底の住人らしい妖怪は見かけましたよ。

I've never been underground, but I have seen youkai who appeared to live there.

Byakuren

何度か飛倉(とびくら)(*1)が封印されていた所に忘れ物が無いか見に行きました。

I went there a few times, checking to see if we had left anything behind in the place where the Flying Vault(*1) was sealed.

Kanako

私は定期的に行ってますが。

I go there regularly.

Marisa

ああ、そう言えばそうだったな。私が地下に行く事になったのも、本を正せばお前の所為だったな。

Yeah, now that you mention it, it was all your fault that I had to go down there to begin with, huh?

Kanako

てへ。

*chuckle*

Marisa

恨むぜ。

I hate you.

[神奈子から見た幻想郷の課題]

Kanako's Opinions on Gensokyo's Problems

Akyuu

口を挟んで済みません。何故魔理沙さんが地底に行った理由に神奈子さんが関わってくるのでしょう。その辺教えて頂けませんか?

Excuse me for interrupting, but it seems the reason Marisa went underground had something to do with Ms. Kanako. Could you please explain that?

Marisa

おおビックリした、書記が急に喋るなよ。ええと、なんだったかな。地底で暴れていたのが神奈子だったからだっけ?

Whoa, you surprised me. The secretary shouldn't just pipe up like that. Um... why was it again? Because Kanako was rampaging underground?

Kanako

暴れてません。

I do not rampage.

Miko

確かに暴れてそう……。

I can easily picture her doing it.

Kanako

何か? いや、幻想郷の未来の為に厄介者の地底を利用しようと考えていたのです。

What was that? No, excuse me. I was thinking I could use the troublemakers underground for the sake of Gensokyo's future.

Miko

利用?

Use?

Kanako

その前に、今の幻想郷で直近で危惧しなければいけない事ってなんだと思います?

But before I go into more detail, what do you all consider the imminent problem we must solve in Gensokyo?

Byakuren

うーん。食糧問題? 狭い閉鎖空間ですし……。

Hmm... Food supply problems? It's a rather small and confined space, after all....

Miko

政治問題かな? 人心が乱れては直ぐに滅んでしまう。

Political problems, perhaps? It would quickly collapse in the event of any unrest.

Marisa

ミレニアム問題か? なんか拙そうだし。

The Millennium Problems? They look pretty bad.

Kanako[1]

違う違う、エネルギー問題よ。今の幻想郷を動かすエネルギーって何処から来てると思うの?

You're all wrong. It's energy problems. Where do you think the energy we are using now is coming from?

Byakuren

食料と消化?

Food and digestion?

Miko

宗教と威厳?

Religion and austerity?

Marisa

えーっと……。(*2)

Um... uh...(*2)

Kanako

わざわざネタを考えなくても宜しい。エネルギーは陸続きの外の世界から来ているのです。判りますか? 雨も風も太陽も、全て陸続きの外の世界のものです。電気エネルギーも化石燃料も、外の世界のおこぼれを与っているのが現状なのです。

You don't need to think up a joke. Our energy comes from the outside world which is connected by land. Don't you understand? The wind and the rain and the sun are all part of the outside world. Even electricity and fossil fuels: We are currently living on the leftovers of the outside world.

Marisa

そうだったのか。じゃあ魔法の力も霊の力も……。

Is that how it is? What about the power of magic or spirits?

Kanako

それは違うわ。隔離されたのは人間の意識が及ぶものだけなので、魔法の力の様な精神的なものは幻想郷だけで完結しています。

Those are different. We've isolated the things which rely only on human will, so spiritual forces like magical powers can be perfected in Gensokyo alone.

Marisa

じゃあ問題ないな。エネルギー問題ってなんなんだ?

Then there's no problem. How is there an energy crisis?

Kanako

考えたこと無い? 外から来た謎の機械を扱ってみたい、とか。

Have you never thought about it? Something like "I want to try out one of those mysterious machines from the outside world"?

Marisa

え? アレって幻想郷でも使えるのか。

Huh? We can use those in Gensokyo, too?

Kanako

ええ使えます。既に天狗や河童達は使っています。ですが、その為には外の世界でも使われているようなエネルギーが必要なんです。今はおこぼれを与っているだけですが、自分達で生み出せるようになればもっと素晴らしい世界が待っているでしょう。

Yes, we can. The tengu and the kappa already do, and that's exactly why we need a kind of energy that is also used in the outside world. While currently we are just using their leftovers, I'm looking forward to when we can create an even more splendid world.

Byakuren

それって外の世界と同じ事になるって意味ですか? 幻想郷の崩壊に繋がりませんか?

Doesn't that mean we will become exactly like the outside world? Wouldn't that lead to the ruin of Gensokyo?

Kanako

同じ道を歩む為にこういう事を言っているのではありません。逆に外の世界の人間の意識が変化を始めている為、このまま放って置くと幻想郷が自滅してしまう恐れがあるのです。

I am not saying this so we can take the same path as them. Rather, because the attitudes in the outside world are starting to change, I am afraid Gensokyo may self-destruct if we ignore this problem.

Miko

え?

Huh?

Kanako

意識の変化とは「技術革新至上主義」から「環境至上主義」です。外の世界ではエネルギーの使用そのものが、悪と見なされる様になってきているのです。

The change in attitude I am referring to is the one from "technological innovation above all" to "environmentalism above all". In the outside world, they are starting to see the use of energy as itself evil.

Miko

倹約を始めたという事ね。それが幻想郷にどういう影響が……。

In other words, they have started to conserve. How would that impact Gensokyo though?

Kanako

今まで無限のように思われていたエネルギーに限りが見えた事で、多くの人間がエネルギーについて関心を持つようになった。それは幻想郷が与れるエネルギーが少なくなる、もしかしたら無くなってしまう、という危険性があるという意味です。

Because people have seen that there is a limit to the supply that was thought to be inexhaustible, many of them have become concerned about wasted energy. Consequently, the leftover energy given to Gensokyo will become reduced. There is even the danger of losing our supply altogether.

Byakuren

外の世界を知らない私にはよく判らない話ですね。その危険って、どの位未来の話なのでしょうか?

I don't know much about the outside world so I don't really understand this topic. How far into the future is this danger you speak of?

Kanako

この変化は三十~四十年前から徐々に見え始め、十年前には顕著になっていました。今日明日の話では無いですが、あと数十年の間に何か劇的な変化があると考えています。その変化に対応する手段は一つ、幻想郷だけで完結したエネルギーを増やす事です。それが私が地底に行った目的でした。

You could see the change gradually occurring over the past 30-40 years, and it's become more obvious 10 years ago. It's not going to happen overnight, but I think there will be dramatic changes over the next few decades. There is only one option available, and that is developing Gensokyo's independent energy resources. Which is why I went underground.

[焦熱地獄]

The Hell of Blazing Fires

Kanako

私が幻想郷に来てから、天狗達の話を聞いて幻想郷の地底に地獄(*3)があるという事を知りました。そこに火の海がある筈だと思いまして――。

After I came to Gensokyo, I learned from the tengu that a hell(*3) existed in Gensokyo's underground. So I figured there would be an ocean of fire down there—

Byakuren

焦熱地獄ですね? 八大地獄の一つです。

You mean the Hell of Blazing Fires? One of the Eight Greater Hells.

Kanako

妖怪の山が複成火山だという事を加味すると、その焦熱地獄というものが地殻内のマグマだまりだという事は容易に想像が付きます。地獄が相当深いそうなので、場合によってはマントルまで達するのかも知れません。いずれにしても非常に高温高圧な地獄であり、その環境下なら地上では未だ為し得ていない核融合の実現が可能になると……。

Well, seeing as how Youkai Mountain is a volcano that lies on top of it, it was easy to assume that this Hell of Blazing Fires had a magma chamber within the core. It seems as though hell is fairly deep, and it seemed possible that it might even reach the mantle. In any event, in the high-temperature, high-pressure environment of hell, I thought it might be possible to perform nuclear fusion, which is not yet possible on the surface, so...

Akyuu

難しい話ですね、よく判らないのですが

This is a difficult topic, so I don't really understand.

Kanako

簡単に言うと、焦熱地獄のエネルギーを使って、幻想郷のエネルギー問題を解決しようという話です。

Simply put, this is about solving Gensokyo's energy problems by using the energy from the Hell of Blazing Fires.

Marisa

その結果、大量に温泉が湧いたんだよな。確か。

And as a result, a bunch of hot springs popped up. Pretty sure.

Kanako

温泉が湧いたのは成功への第一歩ですね。

The hot springs were the first step towards success.

Marisa

温泉は有難いんだが、多くの妖怪達が怒っていたなぁ。「温泉が湧いたが怨霊も湧いた」って。

I'm grateful for the hot springs, but you ticked off a lot of youkai. They said stuff like, "We got hot springs, but we also got vengeful spirits!"

Kanako

その辺がちょっと調査不足でした。使われていない地獄にまだ怨霊が沢山居るなんて……。

That part was due to a lack of investigation. To think that there were still so many vengeful spirits in an unused hell...

Byakuren

怨霊だけではなく、地底の荒くれ者も出てくる様になりましたね……。私の寺にも。

Not only the vengeful spirits, but ruffians started to come out from underground, too. Even to my temple.

Miko

むしろエネルギー問題の前に、内部から幻想郷を破壊する事に繋がるんじゃ……。

I get the feeling Gensokyo is going to destroy itself before the energy problem does...

Kanako

いやいや、大丈夫ですよ(汗)。むしろ変化を失った幻想郷の方が怖いと思った方が。

No, no. It's all under control (sweat). I think you should be more afraid if Gensokyo stops changing.

Marisa

まあな。荒くれ者って言ったって、暴れたら倒せば良いだけだし。実際に地底に行った感じだと、暴力的な妖怪というよりはコミュニケーションが苦手か、そもそも嫌いで引き籠もっていたり、一匹狼が好きな奴らばっかって感じだったから恐るるに足らないと思うぜ。

Yeah, I guess so. Even if you say they're "ruffians", we can always beat 'em up whenever they get too wild. As for my personal impressions from when I went underground, I felt it was less that they were violent and more that they were just bad at communicating. Or maybe they were just secluding themselves and enjoying being lone wolves. So I don't think you should be scared of those guys.

Miko

どんな妖怪でも受け入れるのが幻想郷だと聞いていたけど、そうじゃないのかしら?

I've heard that Gensokyo accepts any kind of youkai, but is that not the case?

Marisa

全てを受け入れると、中には受け入れられるのを嫌い始める妖怪も居る、それだけだ。

When you accept everyone, there will be ones who start to hate being accepted. That's all.

Miko

逆説的ね、その辺は人間と大差無いのか……。

How paradoxical. In that sense they're not too different from humans...

Byakuren

地上の妖怪は人間を脅かす存在である事が多い代わりに、ある程度人間と妖怪の信頼関係が成り立っています。逆に地下の妖怪は、一方的に人間に忌み嫌われたり追放されたりして、人間不信、妖怪不信に陥っているのだと考えられます。

Many of the youkai on the surface are threats toward humans, but there's still a certain amount of trust between them. On the other hand, the underground youkai have been unilaterally loathed or exiled by humans, so it is thought that they have fallen into not trusting neither humans nor youkai.

Miko

あれ? それを救うのが仏教の役目じゃないの?

Hmm? Isn't it the duty of Buddhism to rescue people from that mindset?

Byakuren

いやまあその。

Well, that is, I mean...

[地底の嫌われ者]

The Hated Underground Dwellers

Marisa

人間不信って口かなぁ。私が出会ったのは、ヤマメ(*4)にパルスィ(*5)だろ? 近づいた奴を病気にするヤマメなんて人間に嫌われて当然だし、パルスィは毎晩藁人形を打ち付けて居て気持ち悪いだろ?

Not trusting humans, huh? Let's see, I've met ones like Yamame(*4) and Parsee(*5), yeah? Yamame infects people who get close to her with a disease, so it's reasonable why she's hated by humans. And Parsee spends every night pounding nails into straw dolls. So creepy, right?

Byakuren

貴方が嫌う妖怪は、妖怪も貴方を嫌いになるものです。それは人間も同じですよ。

Because you hate the youkai, the youkai will come to hate you as well. This is the same for humans.

Marisa

つったって、そんな妖怪、どうやって好きになれと……。

Well, yeah, but how could you like youkai like that...

Byakuren

例えばヤマメさんでしたら十分に健康に気を付けて近づき、過去の武勇伝を聞いたりすればそうそう攻撃される事は無いと思います。もちろん家に帰ったら手洗い、うがいをお忘れなく。

If, for example, you carefully approached Ms. Yamame while minding your health, and then asked to listen to her heroic tales and such, I don't think she'd attack you. Of course, once you got home, you mustn't forget to wash your hands and gargle.

Marisa

よく言うよ、お前だって入門を断った癖に。

Well said, for someone who kicked her out of the temple.

Byakuren

ゲフンゲフン。

*A-he-he-hem*

Kanako

実際の話、魔理沙の言う通り、地上の妖怪や人間と上手くやっていくには、少し難しい奴らばかりかもねぇ。焦熱地獄を管理している地霊殿の主は、サトリ(*6)がやっているんですけど、本当に扱いにくい奴でねぇ。

Realistically speaking though, it's just as Marisa says. The youkai underground have something of a hard time getting along with us on the surface. A satori(*6) owns the Palace of the Earth Spirits which manages the Hell of Blazing Fires, but she is truly hard to deal with.

Miko

サトリって、心を読むというあの妖怪ですよね?

By satori, you mean the mind-reading youkai, correct?

Kanako

心を読む妖怪なんかに近づきたくなる奴が居る訳もない。

There isn't anyone who would want to get close to a mind-reading youkai.

Byakuren

でも、焦熱地獄を使わせて貰っているんでしょ? どうやって交渉したの?

But isn't she letting you use the Hell of Blazing Fires? How did you negotiate?

Kanako

何言ってるのよ。サトリと交渉が出来る訳がないじゃない。私は出来るだけ接触しないようにして焦熱地獄を利用したの。

What are you talking about? It's impossible to negotiate with a satori. I just used the Hell of Blazing Fires while trying to avoid her as much as I could.

Byakuren

え?

What?

Miko

もしかして、泥棒?

Are you saying you're a burglar?

Kanako

サトリのペット(*7)が管理していたから、そのペットに智恵を与えたのよ。

The satori has a pet(*7) who manages the place, and I bestowed wisdom to the pet.

Byakuren

ペットに智恵……ですか。

Wisdom... to her pet?

Kanako

お前は八咫烏(*8)という名の核融合の神様であると、ちんけな地獄の鴉に吹き込んだの。単純な頭の持ち主の方が、もてあます程の強い力を増幅して使ってくれるものよ。これ豆知識。

I granted a particularly dull hell raven the power of the god of nuclear fusion, namely the Yatagarasu(*8). The simpler the holder's brain is, the better able they are to control a power beyond what they could normally hold. Just a bit of trivia.

Miko

豚もおだてりゃ木に登る、って話ね。聡明な者ほど色々な事柄を疑い、慎重になるもの……。

Flatter a pig and he'll climb a tree, as the saying goes, right? Wiser people are suspicious about things, and act more cautiously...

Kanako

そうそう。サトリがペットを飼っていて助かったわ。とてもじゃないけど、サトリ相手に話が出来ると思わないし。

Oh, by the way, the fact that the satori had pets was a great help. I really do not think I would have been able to talk to a satori.

Miko

そりゃ心を読まれるんじゃあねぇ。

Because your mind would have been read.

[サトリの悩み]

A Satori's Worries

Marisa

さとりのフォローって訳じゃ無いが、お前らの攻撃が容赦無いんで一応言っておく。さとりが沢山ペットを飼っているのは動物にしか好かれないかららしいぞ?

I'm not on Satori's side or anything, but I'll say that you all really aren't going easy on her. I heard that Satori takes care of a lot of pets because she's only liked by animals.

Byakuren

確かにフォローって訳じゃないわね。

You're certainly not on her side.

Kanako

彼女も本当は人の心なんて読みたくは無いのでしょう。だから殆ど地霊殿から出る事が無い。私がペットに近づいてもそれに気付かない位、引き籠もっているみたい。

She probably does not really want to read anyone's mind. That is why she never leaves the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Even though I was able to approach her pet, she never even noticed. That is how much of a shut-in she is.

Miko

その気持ち、判る様な気がします。私は耳が聡く、同時に十人の言葉を聞き分けることが出来ます。しかし大勢の言葉を同時に聞くという事は、要らない言葉も聞こえてきてしまいます。場合によっては辛辣な内容の言葉も聞こえてしまいます。これは非常に辛いものです。

I think I can understand her feelings. I've got sharp ears, so I can listen to and understand ten people at the same time. However, when listening to a crowd with everyone talking at once, it means that I end up hearing words I don't need to. Sometimes I even hear harsh words that I'd rather not. It's a particularly tough problem.

Akyuu

その気持ち判ります。私の場合は聞いた言葉を忘れられないのですが。

I can also understand. In my case, I am unable to forget anything I hear.

Miko

ちなみに私が耳当てをしているのは、言葉が聞こえすぎてしまうからなんです(*9)。これである程度耳と精神を守っているのですよ。

Incidentally, I wear earmuffs so I don't have to hear too much(*9). To some degree, I can protect both my ears and my mind with these.

Byakuren

なる程、サトリに対する地霊殿の存在が、貴方の耳当てなんですね。

I see. So the satori's isolation in the Palace of the Earth Spirits serves the same function as your earmuffs.

Miko

心を読めなくする「心当て」みたいな物がなければ、人間や妖怪を寄せ付けなくするのが一番簡単な方法でしょう。

Without anything like "mindmuffs" to stop her mindreading, avoiding encounters with any humans or youkai is probably the easiest solution.

Marisa

あ、ちなみにさとりには妹が居て、こいし(*10)っていうんだが、彼奴は心が読めないらしいぜ。

Oh, while we're on the topic, Satori has a younger sister named Koishi(*10), but it seems like she can't read minds.

Byakuren

サトリなのに? どうやって?

Even though she's a satori? How?

Marisa

どうやら、自分の心を閉ざす事で心を読むのを止めたそうだ。だからフラフラとあちこちに出て、地上でも見かける事があるぜ。

Somehow it seems that by closing her own mind she has stopped reading minds. So she just wanders around all over the place, and I even saw her on the surface.

Byakuren

それって……。

Does that mean...

Kanako

何も考えていないって事ね。そりゃ何も考えていなければ相手の心も読める訳が無い。何も考えていない妖怪はその辺の動物と同じで、ただの化学反応で動いているのと同義だと思うんだけど。

It means she is not thinking anything. It's impossible to read another's mind when you lack one of your own. An unthinking youkai is just like an animal you can find anywhere, moving as if by chemical reactions.

Miko

考えるのを止めた、かぁ。逃げ方としては低レベルな部類に入るわねぇ。

So she stopped thinking, huh?[2] That is a rather low-grade method of running away.

Byakuren

いや、ちょっと待って。心を閉ざしたのは姉のさとりさんの方じゃ無いの?

No, wait a moment. Isn't the one who closed her mind the older sister, Ms. Satori?

Marisa

え? どういう事?

Huh? What are you talking about?

Byakuren

心を読みたくないから人を遠ざけたんでしょ? それこそ心を閉ざしたという事でしょう。でも、こいしさんはそれを克服し、表に出てきています。

She distanced herself from people to avoid reading their minds, right? That itself is nothing more than closing your mind. But Ms. Koishi on the other hand overcame it and has gone outside.

Marisa

表に出てきたって言っても、何も考えていないんだぜ?

So you say, but she still isn't thinking anything, you know?

Byakuren

通常、何も考えてなければ動く事すら出来ません。しかし、あちこちに出歩いたり、話をしたり出来るというのはありのままの姿で行動出来ているという事。それは決して心を閉ざしたとは言えません。

Normally, without thinking anything at all you wouldn't even be able to move. But being able to stroll about and have conversations means that she is behaving completely true to herself. It should never be said that she closed her mind.

Miko

あー、つまりそれは……。

Ah, then that means...

Byakuren

是故空中無色(ぜこくうちゅうむしき)無受想行識(むじゅそうぎょうしき)。「空」の真理の中に「色」は無く、「受」「想」「行」「識」も無い。つまり五蘊(ごうん)(*11)は存在しない。

Zekokuuchuumushiki, Mujyusougyoushiki.[3] Within the truth of "Emptiness", there is no "Form". Nor are there "Sensation", "Perception", "Formation" or "Consciousness". In other words, the five skandhas(*11) do not exist.

Miko

なる程、心の読めないサトリは心を閉ざしたのでは無く、心を捨てて「空」に迫ったと。

I see, so you're saying that the satori who cannot read minds didn't close her mind, but abandoned her mind and approached "Emptiness".

Byakuren

偶々でしょうけど、そう見えます。これは修行を積んだ僧侶にも難しい事です。そうなるとそのこいしさんは是非うちのお寺に欲しいわね(*12)。もしかしたら、修行の必要なく、悟りの境地に近づけるかもしれない。

Likely by coincidence, but that is what it looks like. That is hard thing to do, even for a trained monk. If that's the case, I definitely want this Ms. Koishi in our temple(*12). It's possible that she can approach a state close to enlightenment without undergoing training.

Miko

サトリだけに。

Well, she is a satori.[4]

Marisa

仏教トークはよく判らんが、心を捨てて「空」に迫るというのは面白いな。

I don't really get all this Buddhist talk, but the bit about abandoning your mind to approach "emptiness" is pretty interesting.

Kanako

確かに、ペットにそんな名前を付けたのは、もしかしたら姉にも何か想う所があったのかもね。

Certainly, and since she gave her pet a name like that maybe the older sister is close to that point as well.[5]

[地獄の鬼と怨霊]

The Oni and Vengeful Spirits of Hell

Miko

話を聞いていると地底は嫌われ者ばっかりだけど、旧地獄って言うからもっと鬼とか居るかと思ってたわ。

Listening to this conversation, it sounds like the underground has only detested people, but I had thought that Former Hell would have more things like oni.

Marisa

いやいや居たぜ、一角の鬼(*13)が。

No, there was an oni all right. A one-horned oni(*13).

Kanako

多くの鬼は、地獄の移転と共に再就職したみたいですけど、それが嫌なアウトロー達は残っているみたいね。

While most of the oni relocated along with Hell and continued working there, it seems the unpleasant outlaws who didn't want to move or work stayed behind.

Marisa

正確に言うと、元々旧地獄で働いていた鬼達は殆ど、引っ越しの際に一斉に移住したらしい。それで旧地獄は空き家だらけになったんだが、地上で我が物顔で暮していた鬼達が移って勝手に棲み着いて街を築いたらしいぜ。

To be accurate, the oni who had originally been working in Former Hell all moved out at the same time. So the place had become pretty much deserted, but then the oni who were living on the surface doing whatever they wanted started moving in and just took over, building their own city there.

Kanako

あら詳しいわね。誰に聞いたの?

You seem to be quite informed on the subject. From whom did you hear this?

Marisa

勇儀に聞いたから間違いは無い。

I heard it from Yuugi, so it's definitely true.

Miko

え? 地底の鬼と交流があるの?

Huh? You mingle with the underground oni?

Marisa

ああ、地底は閉鎖的でも鬼自体は開放的だぜ。よく呑みに誘ってくれるしな。旧地獄の彼岸花は綺麗だぜ、ほんと。まあ、私が地底に行っても他の妖怪は近づいて来ないがな。

Yeah, the underground may be unsociable, but the oni themselves are party animals. She often invites me over to drink. The red lilies of Former Hell sure are pretty, really. But, yeah, even if I go underground, none of the other youkai will get anywhere near me.

Byakuren

ふーん、確かに鬼って豪快そうですしね。小さな事は気にしなさそうだし、引き籠もる意味が判らないわね。

Hmm... the oni sure sound lively. They don't seem to fuss over details, so I wonder why they have secluded themselves.

Kanako

地底に行ってるんだとしたら気を付けた方が良いわよ。

If you're going underground, there is something you should be wary of.

Marisa

何にだ?

What's that?

Kanako

怨霊によ。

Vengeful spirits.

Marisa

怨霊ねぇ。私には怨霊と幽霊の区別が付かないし、むしろ幽霊より怨霊の方が弱いくらいだぜ? でも、妖怪は異様に怨霊を怖がって居るみたいだけど何故だ?

Really now? I've never been able to tell them apart from phantoms, but they seem even weaker, if anything. Why do youkai act so strangely scared of them?

Kanako

怨霊は幽霊の一部で基本的には同じものですが、悪意に満ちた人間や強い怨みを持った人間から出てくる幽霊のうち、輪廻天生の輪から外れ、未来永劫幽霊のままの存在を怨霊と呼ぶのです。死後、地獄へ落とされる人間が怨霊になる事が多くて、その為地獄には沢山居ます。まさか旧地獄にもまだ残っていたとは誤算でしたが……。

Vengeful spirits are a kind of phantom and are basically the same thing, but phantoms that come from humans who gave in to malice or carry a strong grudge, and stray from the cycle of reincarnation by remaining a phantom eternally are called vengeful spirits. Humans that are condemned to Hell after death often become vengeful spirits, so there are quite a few of them there. I was certainly not expecting there to still be any in Former Hell though.

Marisa

怨霊は人間を恨んでいる事が多くて危ないって話か? でも弱いんだけどなぁ。

So you're saying that because vengeful spirits often resent humans, they're dangerous? But they are weak, you know.

Kanako

本当に怖いのは、人間に取憑く、って所よ。取憑いて人間同士で怨み合う様に仕向けるのよ。

The scary part is when they possess humans. They possess humans and induce them to resent their own kind.

Marisa

む、それは嫌だな。

Ugh, I'd hate that.

Kanako

幻想郷は妖怪の存続の為に造られたと言っても、人間が居なければ成り立ちません。人間の存在無しでは妖怪も成り立たないのです。人間は妖怪を畏れ、妖怪は人間を襲う。これが大前提です。

Although Gensokyo is said to have been created to preserve youkai, it couldn't exist without humans. Without humans, youkai couldn't exist either. Humans fear youkai, youkai attack humans. This is the major premise.

Byakuren

そこには反論が……。

I have an objection to that...

Kanako

異論は認めません。ですが、ここに怨霊が入ってくるとどうなるでしょうか? 怨霊は妖怪ではなく人間の悪意が生んだ霊です。この怨霊が人間に取憑き、人間同士が闘い始めたらどうなりますか?

Objection overruled. However, what do you think would happen if the vengeful spirits got out? Vengeful spirits are not youkai but spirits born from human malice. What do you think would happen if these spirits start possessing humans and the humans start fighting each other?

Marisa

どっちが勝つか賭の対象になるな。

Betting on the winners.

Kanako

そんな決闘じゃなくて、誰が敵か味方か判らない様な疑心暗鬼に陥るって事よ。人間だけで敵対関係も完結し、とどのつまり外の世界と同じように成ってしまう。そうなると妖怪の存在意義が危うくなるでしょう? だから妖怪が怨霊を怖れているのです。

I do not mean they would duel, but they would fall into paranoia, not being able to tell friend from enemy. With humans antagonizing only each other, it will simply become just like the outside world. Would that not put the meaning of the existence of youkai in jeopardy? That is why youkai fear the vengeful spirits.

Marisa

なる程。

I see.

Kanako

怖れている理由がもう一つあるわ。妖怪は一般的に肉体は強く出来ているけど、精神は非常に脆いの。

There is also another reason they fear them. While youkai tend to be physically strong, they are especially fragile spiritually.

Marisa

ほう、そうだっけ?

Hmm, were they?

Byakuren

妖怪の主体は肉体ではなく、精神ですからね。

That's because the core of a youkai is not its body, but its mind.

Kanako

今までそういう例は聞いた事が無いけど、万が一怨霊が妖怪に取憑き、妖怪の性格を変えてしまったとするとどうなるか。

I have never heard of this happening, but if by any chance a vengeful spirit managed to possess a youkai and change its character, what do you think would happen?

Byakuren

その妖怪は死んだと同じになってしまうのですね。

It would be as if that youkai had died.

Marisa

死んだと同じとはどういう意味だ? 死んではいないのか?

What do you mean as if they had died? They aren't really dead, right?

Byakuren

その妖怪としては死んだ、という意味です。別の妖怪になるのです。

It means they have died as that particular youkai. What's left is a completely different youkai.

Marisa

なんだ、生まれ変わるだけじゃん。

What, isn't that just being reborn?

Byakuren

別の妖怪の主体は、取憑いた怨霊の精神……つまり生まれ変わるというよりは、存在その物が怨霊に乗っ取られてしまうって訳ですね。

The new youkai's core would be the mind of the spirit that possessed them... In other words, rather than being reborn, the spirit will take over their entire existence.

Kanako

そういう事。だから妖怪は怨霊を怖れているのよ。

That's right. Which is why youkai are so scared of vengeful spirits.

Marisa

怖れているのよ、って、地底から怨霊が湧いたのはお前が旧地獄を利用しようとしたからだぞ?

So you're telling me why, but isn't it your fault that those spirits are popping up? Because you tried to take advantage of Former Hell?

Kanako

それはみんなには内緒。

That shall be our little secret.

Marisa

みんな知っているがな(笑)。まあ、取り敢えずメモしておくか。妖怪を殺すには怨霊が手っ取り早い、と。

Everyone already knows though (laughs). For now, I'll just make a note that the quickest way to kill a youkai is with a vengeful spirit.

Kanako

そういう心の持ち主が、死後地獄に行って怨霊となるのよ。

With a heart like that, you'll go to Hell and become a vengeful spirit yourself.

Marisa

ぎゃあ、地獄に行くのは勘弁な。出来れば天界で。

Gah, no thanks. I'd prefer Heaven, if possible.

Miko

あれ? さっき、鬼に誘われて地獄に呑みに行くって言ってなかった?(笑)

Huh? Didn't you just tell us that you were going to take up the oni's offer to go drinking with them in Hell? (laugh)

Marisa

ああ、そうだな。じゃあ地獄も大して怖くないかも知れんな。

Ah, I guess I did. Then Hell might not be too scary.

*1 白蓮の弟、命蓮の残した神妙な倉。なんと空を飛んで穀物や財産を奪う。

1: Pieces of the mystical vault that Myouren, brother of Byakuren, left behind. Amazingly, it flies in the sky and steals grain and belongings.

*2 ミレニアム問題が何だかわからなくて思いつかなかったのですね……。

2: She didn't know what the Millennium Problems were and couldn't come up with something clever...

*3 正確には旧地獄。監獄としての機能は閻魔様たちが管理する新地獄に移行し、旧地獄はただの荒くれ者、嫌われ者の巣窟となっている。

3: To be accurate, Former Hell. Its use as a prison was relocated to the New Hell that the Enmas are managing, and Former Hell became merely a nest for the violent and the despised.

*4 黒谷ヤマメ。前述。

4: Yamame Kurodani. Aforementioned.

*5 水橋パルスィ。妬みたっぷりの妖怪。

5: Parsee Mizuhashi. A youkai full of envy.

*6 古明地さとり。神奈子さんの言っている「サトリ」は名前では無く妖怪の種族を指していると思われる。ややこしや。

6: Satori Komeiji. I believe the "satori" Kanako mentioned refers not to the name but to the youkai species. Confusing.

*7 霊烏路 空。通称お空。鳥頭。

7: Utsuho Reiuji, nicknamed Okuu. Birdbrain.

*8 日本神話に出てくる神の烏。猿田彦と同じ導きの神の性質も持つが、太陽神の性質の方が強い。黒い烏なのに太陽って不思議だと思うでしょ? 実は太陽をよく見る(危険!)と黒い点が見える筈です。それが八咫烏なのです。

8: A divine crow that appears in Japanese mythology. Although it has the same guiding nature of a god as Sarudahiko, its nature as a sun god is stronger. Don't you think it's strange that a black crow is the sun? Actually, if you look at the sun carefully (dangerous!) you should see a black spot. That's the Yatagarasu.

*9 その手があったか。私の場合、見た物も忘れないので目隠しも必須ですね。

9: So that's how she deals with it. In my case, I should get eye masks because I also can't forget anything I see.

*10 古明地こいし。心の読めないサトリ。切れない包丁。無味無臭の調味料である。

10: Koishi Komeiji. A satori who can't read minds. A kitchen knife that can't cut. A bland, unscented spice.

*11 実体、感受、発想、意思、思考、の五つの事だそうです。仏教的には物質と精神の全てで、この世界その物を指す。

11: The five are form, feeling, conception, impulses and discernment. In Buddhism, they compose all matter and the soul, hence they represent the world itself.

*12 後日、勧誘により入門したそうです。出家はせず、在家ですが。

12: Afterward, it seems that she entered the temple at her invitation. Not as a priest, but rather as a laywoman.

*13 星熊勇儀。お酒大好き。

13: Yuugi Hoshiguma. Loves sake.

< Part 3: Rin Kaenbyou 
Part 3: On the Past and Present of Youkai, and Truly New Youkai 
 Symposium of Post-mysticism   Part 4: Parsee Mizuhashi
 Part 5: Are Religion and Faith Necessary to Gensokyo?
>

References

  1. This commentator is originally written as Miko's, but due to the discourse mentions about the energy, she should not be Miko, but Kanako.
  2. "After a while, he/she stopped thinking" (そのうち考えるのをやめた) is a famous JoJo quote.
  3. Chapter one, eleventh article of the Heart Sutra (in Japanese style reading). The full paragraph is Zekokuuchuumushiki mujyusougyoushiki mugennibizesshinni Mushikishoukoumisokuhou mugenkainaishimuishikikai (是故空中無色 無受想行識 無眼耳鼻舌身意 無色声香味触法 無眼界乃至無意識界). Roughly, it's saying that our five senses as a human and our thoughts and the vision that we have captured do not exist. And unless we won't kill the subjectivity (in other words our "attachment"), we will never will gain true perspective. This probably explains the reason why Byakuren has quoted this phrase here.
  4. "Satori" (さとり) and "enlightenment" (悟り) are pronounced the same way in Japanese
  5. Utsuho's name is the kanji for "emptiness"