The "dreams like reality". By Cotosiro. This is the revised edition having been translated from Japanese edition. February 7, 2004. This was rewritten a little in May 5, 2005. This was revised in February 8, 2009. Since it doesn't know English well, it doesn't know whether the expression is proper.
			5, The true character of Yama(the king of Hell).
	"Why, a dead person came again". "Oh, really? But, how many people came today? I feel the dead people come here frequent recently.". I, when being about to wake up, suddenly noticed someone is talking with somebody. However, since they speak with terribly low tone, it feels horrible somehow. My consciousness rapidly started to float toward the awakening from the sleep because of that queer voice. In my feeling, it seems there are several persons probably, though it is unclear because I still am in the process of waking. However, it is in strange mood. The horrible voices resounded in queer atmosphere in spite of the blur voice every time they speak. Somehow it doesn't seem it is reality. "Maybe, this is the dream". I thought so for a instant with me being shutting the eyes. However, wasn't the cause having broken my dream their voice? If so, it should think I am in reality. I turned my face to the direction of voice a little and glanced at the sight stealthily with opening my eyes slightly. When it sees, several huge onis(Japanesque demons) are talking each other. When the weird flames around their body flare up, it often had flown around the dim sky, as if it is a will-o'-the-wisp. And, the flames like a will-o'-the-wisp faded out into the air, soon, after staying into the air for a little while, with flame waving slowly. By any chance, it may be that it was the will-o'-the-wisp, really. Anyhow, it is the gruesome sight. I shut my eyes in horror in spite of oneself. It is that I hoped it is as a mere dream. However, it knows it isn't so in reality. I again made my ears sensitive with me shutting the eyes. The onis are talking with making the blur voice resound strangely as before. I, when opening the eyes slightly again, peeped at them stealthily. When it sees, the heavens filled with the reddish gray cloud are showing this place is the hell certainly. Toward the heavens like that, many slender rocks with the uncanny angular shape are towering in places as if it is the stone columns seen in a old Greek architecture. What a unearthly sight it is! I turned my eyes away from that sight in spite of oneself. By any chance, it may be that I felt a bad presentiment in that sight. I turned my eyes to the ground. When it see, the ground is filled with the rocks and stones. And, even one weed isn't growing.
	Instead, crystals like sulfur were covering the rocky ground in places, oozing out from the base of the slender rocks like a stone column. And, red liquid is oozing out from around the yellow crystals. The red liquid like blood had flowed between the weirdly shaped rocks, branching and again meeting, as if it is a red net. And, it already is flowing into many red streams. Furthermore, the red streams had formed the red muddy river with meeting each other, soon. The violent muddy current is forming the deep canyon with scraping or drilling the rocks while often throwing its reddish spray into the air. Reddish muddy cataract was falling through the weird rocks looking like a monster. Suspicious steam is scattering its terrible smell, rising from the basin of waterfall ceaselessly.
	At that time, I were hearing sad shout the dead persons give off echoing with the gruesome reddish sky. This is the hell doubtlessly. But, it is the sight so horrible that it is hard to be compared with the image I once felt from old books and picture scroll. Drinking blood of dead person and eating the flesh of dead person were the really daily behavior for onis. To tell the truth, it was that the words of hell mean the civilization losing the spirit left as the wrecked world, after the worldly desires finished eating all. If so, it seems the onis once were a human being as the dead persons are so. And, if so, the onis may have the humanity with the bottom of the heart even if it is a little. I hoped it is so, a little. However, it may be only my mere expectancy. I wavered in how to think the thing and in what to do here. Anyhow, it doesn't know into what horrible situation it falls if it is caught to them. If so, it seems it is better to pretend a dead person for the moment. I took care to not move oneself, when hiding my face stealthily. However, the hell isn't so easy world. "Oh, silly! In spite of dead person, you are pretending a dead person, won't you?". Suddenly, horrible voice saying so resounded over me. It is certain the onis penetrated my pretense. I felt weak at the body in spite of oneself, getting frightened. However, how do they treat me? I glanced up secretly with opening the eyes slightly. Just then, one oni reaches for me. I got held at the nape of the neck at once and got lifted upward with horrible power. Really how's my destiny? I have shut my eyes in spite of oneself, feeling too horrible. However, the oni often swings my body to right and to left with him hanging me into the air. I opened my eyes in spite of oneself. When it sees, there is oni's face in front of my eyes. He is the black oni called a gyuki(ox-demon) having ox's horns on the head. Bare fangs glittered for a instant like a sharp knife. "Alas, I am eaten!". I felt my consciousness is lost rapidly.
			However, I still were living without being eaten though it doesn't know why. When I returns to oneself with being shaken by the oni, it is that he put me on the ground slowly. And, he told me "Listen without a fear, concentrating" in a coaxing tone. However, what does the oni intend to state? I were bewildered, not knowing how to react. The oni says. "You have to choose whether you become a oni or stay in the dead. But, it is hard decision. Which do you choose?". It feels his talking manner queer somehow. Strangely, I felt like vomiting. However, the strange gap between his low voice and talking manner gives me the gruesome touch somehow. I turned my eyes away from the oni in spite of oneself with getting overwhelmed by the weird atmosphere the oni gives off. However, the oni's talk is strange. I never be the dead.
	Because I only fell from the bottom of the hollow in the situation that I am still living. I explained that detail to the onis timidly. And, I asked them to return me on the ground. However, they fall silent suddenly, and regard me with the look exposing amazement. And, in a next moment, they have burst into laughter all together when looking at each other with glancing up. Blue oni having one horn on the head says. "Oh, we didn't think you are so silly. A person having come to the hell is called the dead whether it is dead or not. Did you understand?". And, he grinned, showing his fangs as if it sneers at me. However, it is strange talk. "But, isn't it that it isn't the dead if it isn't dead?". I asked like that the blue oni in spite of oneself. The blue oni says. "Oh, nonsense! If so, I will tell you special secret. You know, this hell is the hell you produced. You were in this hell ever since you were living.".
	However, I can't understand the meaning at all. "What do you mean? I came here a little before. Don't tell a lie!". I asked him like that, gazing at the blue oni since I became accustomed to the horrible face narrowly. The other onis are watching at our talk, giggling partly for fun. The blue oni kept on doing one's talk more smoothly in one's convenience, becoming vigorous increasingly. "You know, you are possessed to one's worldly desires completely. You are only pretending to look for a truth! You had given up the looking for a truth at old days, won't you? You can't respect the other person because it can't respect oneself! Isn't it so?". What on earth is he stating? It seems his talk is incoherent somehow. I got bewildered terribly, doubting whether this is the answer to me really. So, I peeped at the other onis, trying to confirm their reaction to his talk. It is that it supposed they also would put one's head on one side. However, they are nodding strongly as if it had understood. When I looks back in bewilderment, the blue oni uttered the words unclear of meaning furthermore. "Oh, my talk may be difficult a little for you, because you know nothing else but to make money. I can understand why the good spirit was angry against you, because this hell is the hell you have produced. That is, it is that you also are us as well". And, the blue oni gazed at me as if it expects my answer. However, I didn't think to answer anymore. It seems it is the common truth anywhere a talkative fellow lacks substance. "He must know nothing in reality. He only is talking in the impulse to domineer over me.". I, thinking so, despised the blue oni secretly.
			Just then, would the blue oni have noticed my mind? His face has twitched, becoming grim suddenly. And, it started to talk in the horrible voice. "Listen, shutting your mouth! Taste this hell fully! Because you are the dead!". However, I no longer had a dread of the onis. "His brain seems to be odd as the appearance of him is odd. Isn't there a honest oni somewhere?". I, when murmuring like that in my heart, turned my eyes to the other onis. However, when it sees carefully, they all looks to be silly. It doesn't seem it can keep a serious talk with them, at all. But, it is hard to ignore them with contempt. I would be eaten by them at once if it shows the attitude like that carelessly.
	If so, what should I do how? I sank oneself into the thought for a little while. And, image of Yama floats in my heart, soon. It is that it recalled he is in the hell. He is the sovereign of the hell. The soul to decide where I go isn't someone else but only Yama. I, when looking up at the onis at once, asked them " where is Yama?", omitting the honorific title carelessly. As it thought, the onis stares at me with sharp look. "What did you say now? Why can't you refer him as the great Yama who reigns over the hell?". Horrible voices resounded with whole of the hell. "Oh, I'm sorry! I will refer him as the great Yama who reigns over the hell. Please allow me!". I, saying like that, asked to be forgiven with glancing up often while prostrating oneself before the onis. However, the onis show the strange attitude. They, when looking up at the heavens all together, started to speak with giving off the voice in the same timing and in the same tone. "Oh, don't mind! A slip of the tongue is said to be true intention. Anyhow, it is the matter of yourself. You are free to decide whether it refers him as Yama or not. As you like?". Somehow their talk seems to be strange as well as their attitude. And, it isn't clear at all whether their talk has the meaning or not. Furthermore, they don't look to have a life though it doesn't know why. Certainly, they looked to have a life just before. However, it now looks like, to be the puppet manipulated by someone. Since they have stayed in the hell for long, they must have gotten crazy. Or else, would this be Yama's handiwork? Anyhow, to talk with them is the waste of time. "The great Yama! I am not dead!". I have shouted like that, looking up at the gruesome burning sky. However, before it noticing, the hell is being covered by the black veil to be called the dark. "Where is Yama?". I started to walk, groping my way, straining my eyes. When walking for a little while, I notice another one's own self is floating into the dark. I got frightened for a instant.
	However, when it looks at it carefully, it doesn't look to be real existence. I stared at another one's self, straining my eyes furthermore. And, soon, I noticed that is the appearance of me reflected in the big mirror. It seems the black lacquered frame of the mirror had hidden the mirror with melting into the dark. So, it must be that I had been under the illusion that it is another one's self. "But, is it the illusion really?". I felt a doubt a little. Somehow it feels one's own self reflected in the mirror stares at me, giving off the unusual atmosphere. It looks like, to see through my mind. I turned my eyes to the frame, feeling a fear for a instant. And, it notices there are the things like Chinese Characters there. When it looks at those carefully, those were the Chinese Characters meaning Yama.
					Contents	The origin of Japanese culture.
Cotosiro