Symposium of Post-mysticism/Bunbunmaru Newspaper 7

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Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Kanako article

Symposium of Post-mysticism

Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Miko article

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第百十四季　葉月の三	Season 124, Hazuki issue #3 (est. 2009/09/19 ~ 2009/10/18)
夏の夜の妖怪法会	Summer Night Buddhist Services for Youkai
誰もが涼しくなれる？	Can they chill anyone to the bone?
命蓮寺で行われた法会が話題となっている。	The Buddhist services held at the Myouren Temple are a popular topic lately.
命蓮寺は今年の春に出来たばっかのお寺であるが、そこで初めて行われている法会がスリリングでエキサイティングらしい。	The brand-new Myouren Temple was built just this spring, but word is already getting around that their Buddhist services are very thrilling and exciting.
そもそも法会とは何なのだろうか。法会とは仏の道を説く為に開かれる勉強会である。いかにもつまらなさそうであるが、それがスリリングでエキサイティングとはどういう事か？　住職の聖白蓮さんはこう語る。	But what is a Buddhist service? Simply put, it is meeting for teaching and studying the way of Buddhism. Despite the dull concept, everyone says these are thrilling and exciting. But how? The chief priestess Ms. Byakuren Hijiri has this to say:
「仏の道とは、悟りに至るまでの修行の事を指します。それは人間の心の中から魔を追い払う事に繋がります。ですが、うちの法会は妖怪を対象に行っているのですから……」	"The path of Buddhism is training to attain enlightenment. In other words, it involves exorcising evil spirits from the human soul. However, our Buddhist service is specially tailored for youkai, so..."
人間の心に潜む魔が妖怪の一側面だとしたら、法会に参加する事自体が自分の存在を否定する事になりかねない、という事かも知れない。なる程、それはスリリングである。	She may have been attempting to say that the very act of a youkai attending a Buddhist service would be like them denying their own existence, as they are an aspect of the evil lurking in the human soul. That indeed sounds like a thrill.
しかし、聖さんはこう続ける。	But Ms. Hijiri continues:
「悟りの境地は、色即是空空即是色、即ち何物にも捕らわれない心から自発的に生まれてくる物だと言われています。自己の否定が存在の否定に直結する妖怪こそ、悟りに近いのかも知れません」	"The state of enlightenment is "Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form", thus it is said to be a substance which is born by itself from the flawless soul. It may be that youkai are actually close to enlightenment, since the denial of self is directly connected to the denial of existence."
命蓮寺には妖怪からの問い合わせが絶えない。何故、妖怪達は望んで法会に参加するのだろうか。参加している妖怪に訊ねてみた。	The stream of questions from youkai to the Myouren Temple is endless. Why are youkai willing to join Buddhist services? I have questioned a youkai who attends them.
「最近暑いからねー。法会っていう怪談大会が行われるって言うから参加してみたんだけど、いやー、あの坊さん凄いね。話が上手くて本当に怖い、身も心も震え上がっちゃうよ。般若心経っていうの？　傑作の怪談だね」	"It's just way too hot these days. I came here 'cause I heard there was a ghost story meeting called a "Buddhist service" going on, but, man, she sure is good. She's so good, the scares send shivers through my body 'n' soul. The Heart Sutra; boy, that was a doozy.
般若心経は仏教の教典の中で最も有名な物で、他にも沢山ある。その事を伝えると「良いねぇ、仏教ってのは。怖い物好きには堪らないね」と身を震わせて喜んでいた。	The Heart Sutra is the most famous sutra in Buddhism, and there are many others. After I told the youkai that, they said "Buddhism's all right with me. To horror fans like me, there ain't nothin' better" and shivered with joy.

Notes

1. According to the date, this article appears at the same issue as that of Yoshika's awakening at Cemetery of Myouren Temple. These two pieces of information are concerned with Myouren Temple.

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Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Kanako article

Symposium of Post-mysticism

Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Miko article

>