After initially determining the cause of the problem, Miketsu asked the shrine maiden's spirit a few more questions, but did not receive any particularly meaningful answers. After asking all that needed to be asked, Miketsu began to consider how to free her. For this, Miketsu chose to consult Byakuren.
"Do you know any way to free her?"
"The jutsu-shiki remaining on this path has a very powerful soul-soothing effect. To release her soul, the jutsu-shiki must be undone in the correct way, which requires extremely profound Onmyojutsu mastery, something I do not possess," Byakuren slowly replied to Miketsu.
Profound Onmyojutsu mastery? Is she telling me to go back to Heian-kyo and find those noble families? But the situation here might have been created by those very families in the past. Would they be willing to release her?
"Moreover, there is still a problem: too much time has passed, and her soul is severely damaged. Even if she is successfully released, she might not be able to sustain herself for long," Byakuren continued, her words causing Miketsu to frown.
"So, there's no way for her to find release?"
"Yes, she can be guided to the afterlife."
"Guided to the afterlife?"
"Since the jutsu-shiki cannot be undone to release her soul, perhaps she can be forcibly guided to the afterlife within the jutsu-shiki, allowing her to enter the Underworld.
"Once she enters the Underworld, successfully crosses the Sanzu River, and passes Yama's judgment, she can re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. Reincarnation can mend her damaged soul," Byakuren continued, a smile on her face.
"Then why don't you guide her to the afterlife?" Hearing Byakuren's words, Miketsu was somewhat puzzled. Normally, isn't guiding the deceased the duty of you monks?
"I tried, but unfortunately, my power of guidance cannot transcend the restraints of the jutsu-shiki here. For her to be successfully guided, you must do it." Looking at Miketsu, a strange glint appeared in Byakuren's eyes.
"That's not possible. Lady Uka is a god, not a Buddha!" At this moment, Tsuruha, who was beside Miketsu, also spoke up.
In this country, Shinto governs life, while Buddhism deals with the afterlife. Guidance to the afterlife and rebirth have always been the domain of Buddhism. As one of the Shinto gods, Miketsu, strictly speaking, cannot guide the deceased. Her divine duties are also closely related to life, and she is not a god of the netherworld who can interfere with Yomi-no-kuni.
Hearing Tsuruha's words, Byakuren smiled faintly and then calmly continued.
"Gods and Buddhas are both high-ranking Celestial Realm beings; their essence is fundamentally no different. What a Buddha can accomplish, a god can also. My master Kukai of the Shingon school once passed down a secret method that allows gods to perform Buddhist rites." Byakuren continued, her words startling Miketsu, Tsuruha, and Makoto.
Gods performing Buddhist rites?! Is there such a thing? Gods and Buddhas belong to two entirely different religious systems!
"Is, is there really such a thing?" Miketsu said in astonishment. Only now did she realize that she, too, could perform the deeds of Buddhas?
"The profound mysteries of Shingon... are subtle and profound, reaching across the Three Realms. Even the domains of gods and Buddhas can be touched. Please consider it. If you agree, I will offer you the secret method, and then you can guide the spirit of this shrine maiden to rebirth." Byakuren continued, her words sounding very tempting, but Miketsu did not immediately agree. She had noticed many issues in the preceding conversation.
"If a secret method alone could truly allow a god to use the power of a Buddha, then why is there still a distinction between gods and Buddhas today? This secret method... the gods probably don't want to use it," Miketsu said with a serious expression. If this secret method was truly so good, yet not widely spread, that would be a problem.
Facing Miketsu's question, Byakuren answered frankly, without any concealment.
"Indeed, the Shinto gods do not wish to use this secret method, because using it requires 'syncretism' with one of the Buddhas. While a god uses the Buddha's power, they are also being eroded by the Buddha."
"Erosion..." Hearing Byakuren's words, Miketsu roughly understood the side effects of this secret method.
"Precisely. The more it is used, the more one is eroded. If it is used completely, the god will eventually be completely assimilated by the Buddha, their consciousness gone, becoming an external manifestation of the Buddha." Byakuren continued, and after she finished explaining the side effects of this so-called secret method, everyone present fell into silence.
Everyone probably understood the reason why the Shinto gods rejected this so-called secret method. Using this thing is practically no different from suicide! And it's the kind of suicide where you hand over all your possessions to someone else afterward. This is extremely dangerous; any god who would want to use it must be out of their mind...
It's no exaggeration to say that this could be seen as a means created by Buddhism for religious invasion of Japanese Shinto!
"Lady Uka, please do not accept this secret method! This bhikkhuni is trying to trick you!" Hearing Byakuren's words, Tsuruha quickly stepped in front of Miketsu, her eyes filled with hostility as she looked at Byakuren.
In contrast to Tsuruha, Miketsu's reaction was much calmer. She had anticipated such an outcome for the method. She looked at the smiling Byakuren and slowly said.
"If she truly wanted to trick me, she wouldn't have spoken so plainly." Miketsu had noticed earlier that the nun before her had clearly laid out the advantages and disadvantages of this secret method. If she truly wanted to deceive an ignorant god like herself, she wouldn't have needed to do so.
"You just said that complete use leads to complete erosion, right? This means that this secret method can be used incompletely," Miketsu said, these being the key points she had noticed in Byakuren's words.
"Yes, such a situation only arises with the complete use of Master Kukai's secret art. This is also why the Shinto gods are unwilling to practice this art. However, after Master Kukai, another master spent a long time improving this art, allowing it to be used to a limited extent, enabling gods to perform Buddhist deeds while maintaining their autonomy."
"Another master?"
"That would be my younger brother, Myoren, the priest of Mount Shigi."
Brother? Hearing Byakuren's words, Miketsu was stunned. She hadn't expected Byakuren, so young, to have such an impressive younger brother. Was he a genius?
"Myoren... that's impossible!" At this moment, Makoto, who had been silent, spoke up, her face wide with astonishment.
"Myoren is a figure who existed at least sixty years ago. You say you are his elder sister, yet you are so young... This, this is impossible, you are just a human, aren't you?"
Hearing Makoto's words, Miketsu and Tsuruha were both startled and looked at Byakuren. Byakuren offered no response to Makoto's words, merely standing there quietly, smiling as she looked at Miketsu, as if awaiting her reply.
After a long pause, Miketsu finally answered.
"Show me that so-called secret method."
Upon hearing Miketsu's reply, Byakuren bowed to her in a Buddhist greeting, then turned her gaze to the tiger behind her.
"Hoshi, where is my sutra bag?"
Hoshi, suddenly addressed by Byakuren, was startled, then shook his body. After realizing he felt much lighter, his eyes widened in panic. He turned to look behind him and saw that his back was empty.
The flustered tiger suddenly jumped up and down, pacing frantically, beads of sweat on his brow, as if searching for something. Seeing this, Byakuren couldn't help but sigh.
"Go see if it's in the forest where we meditated earlier."
Hearing Byakuren's voice, the tiger hastily ran out of the tall tower, heading straight for the distant forest. Watching this scene, Miketsu and the others couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Byakuren also smiled slightly awkwardly and said.
"I apologize, Hoshi only recently gained spiritual intelligence, so she's always careless and forgetful. She'll get better with time."
"Can she find it?" Miketsu asked uncertainly, pointing in the direction where the tiger had disappeared.
"Well... probably..." Byakuren said, rolling her eyes uncertainly, which made Miketsu feel a sense of unease.
Is this nun really reliable?
Rate on N.U.
