Sanzu River
The Sanzu River (Japanese: 三途の川 Hepburn: Sanzu-no-kawa), or River of Three Crossings, is a mythological river in Japanese Buddhist tradition similar to the Hindu concept of the Vaitarna and Greek concept of the Styx.[1] Before reaching the afterlife, the souls of the deceased must cross the river by one of three crossing points: a bridge, a ford, or a stretch of deep, snake-infested waters.[2] The weight of one's offenses while alive determines which path an individual must take. It is believed that a toll of six mon must be paid before a soul can cross the river, a belief reflected in Japanese funerals when the necessary fee is placed in the casket with the dead.[3]
The Sanzu River is popularly believed to be in Mount Osore, a suitably desolate and remote part of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan.
Real Sanzu Rivers in Japan
- in Kanra, Gunma36°15′31″N 138°57′09″E / 36.258613°N 138.952444°E (confluence with Shirakura River)
- in Chōnan, Chiba35°25′22″N 140°15′54″E / 35.422747°N 140.264917°E (confluence with Ichinomiya River)
- in Zaō, Miyagi38°08′39″N 140°29′29″E / 38.144116°N 140.491333°E (confluence with Nigori River)
- in Mutsu, Aomori41°19′33″N 141°05′46″E / 41.325877°N 141.096083°E (drains from Usori Lake)
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See also
- Gjöll - Norse mythology
- Hubur - Mesopotamian mythology
- Styx - Greek mythology
- Vaitarna River (mythological) - Hinduism and Buddhism
References
- ^ Death and the afterlife in Japanese Buddhism. Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse,, Walter, Mariko Namba. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. 2008. pp. 184, 259. ISBN 978-1-4416-1977-8. OCLC 657757860.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "River of Three Crossings | Dictionary of Buddhism | Nichiren Buddhism Library". www.nichirenlibrary.org. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Meido: The Japanese Underworld | Matthew Meyer". 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
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