Chapter 9 spider silk

spider silk Akutagawa Ryunosuke one One day, the Buddha, the World Honored One, was walking alone by the Baolian Pond in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.The lotus in the pond is in full bloom, and each blossom is as white as jade.The golden stamen in the heart of the flower sends fragrance, and its fragrance is sublime and unique, and it diffuses all directions.The Paradise of Paradise is about early morning. Suddenly, the World Honored One was standing by the pool, and occasionally saw the scene below the pool from among the lotus leaves covering the water.Under the lotus pond of bliss is the lowest level of the eighteen hells.Through the clear and crystal-clear pool water, it is like wearing a perspective mirror, and you can have a panoramic view of the Styx River on the three evil paths and the mountains of swords and trees.

At this time, the scene of a man named Kandata struggling with other sinners at the bottom of hell came into the eyes of the Blessed One.The World Honored One remembered that even though Kandata was a murderer, arsonist, and perpetrator of all kinds of crimes, he also did a good deed.It is said that the great thief Kandata once was walking in a dense forest and saw a small spider crawling by the side of the road. He raised his foot and wanted to trample the spider to death.Suddenly he thought about it: "No, no, even though the spider is small, it is still a life. If it is killed casually, no matter what, it will be poor." Kandata did not step on it after all, and let the spider survive.

The World Honored One looked at the scene in hell and remembered Kandata's good deed of letting the spider survive.Although it is so trivial, the World Honored One intends to repay him with kindness and try his best to rescue him from hell.Looking sideways, it was a coincidence that there was a spider in the pure land, and it was climbing the beautiful silver thread on the emerald green lotus leaf.The World Honored One gently took a strand of spider silk, and from the white lotus that was as bright as jade, it went straight down to the bottom of hell, which is fragrant and deep. two Here, Kandata and other sinners are floating in the pool of blood at the bottom of hell.No matter where you look, it is dark and gloomy everywhere. Occasionally, there are shadows and shadows floating in the dark. It turns out to be the eerie sword mountain and sword tree, which makes people feel frightened.Especially in the dead silence all around, like in a tomb.Occasionally, what is heard is only the sigh of the sinner.Those who have fallen to this point have been tortured in hell and are so exhausted that they may not even have the strength to cry out.Therefore, Kandata, the great thief, is also like a dying frog in the pool of blood, only swallowing the blood and struggling hard at the same time.

By chance, Kandata raised his head inadvertently and looked over the pool of blood. In the silent darkness, he saw a strand of silver spider thread descending from the sky.As if afraid of being seen, a thin line, shimmering with light, just hangs straight down on his head.When Kandata saw it, he was overjoyed and clapped his hands.If you grab the spider's silk and climb up, you will surely be able to escape from the sea of ​​suffering.Not only that, if you are lucky, you may be able to climb into the Paradise of Paradise.In this way, he will never drive up the mountain of swords again, and he will also avoid the pain of sinking into the pool of blood.

Thinking of this, Kandata hastily stretched out his hands, grasped the spider's thread tightly, and climbed up desperately one by one.It was originally a big thief, reaching with both hands and feet, it was just a trivial matter. However, there are more than tens of thousands of miles between hell and pure land!No matter how anxious Kandata was, it was not easy to climb out of hell.After climbing for a while, I was finally exhausted. Even if I reached out to go up to another level, it would be difficult.In desperation, he had no choice but to stop, take a break to catch his breath, then hung on the spider's thread, suspended in mid-air, and looked down.

Just now, he climbed up regardless of life and death, and finally his efforts were not in vain. The pool of blood that he was sinking in just a moment ago has disappeared in the dark underground at some point.The cold, creepy sword tree was already under his feet.If you keep climbing like this, it may not be difficult to escape from hell.Kandata wrapped his hands around the spider's thread and laughed heartily, "It's all right now! I'm saved!" That roar had never been heard for many years since he fell into hell.However, the base took a closer look and saw that there were countless sinners at the bottom of the spider web, almost like a line of ants, following behind him, intent on climbing up.Seeing this scene, Kandata was startled and frightened, for a moment he opened his mouth and blinked his eyes in a daze.Such a thin strand of spider silk can bear the weight of one's own family, but how can one bear the weight of so many people?If it breaks in the middle, wouldn't even I, the good guy, who worked so hard to get here, have to fall headfirst into hell again?Then, you can be very obedient!At this time, hundreds of sinners were eager to move, crawled up from the bottom of the dark pool of blood, and followed the spider's thread emitting a thread of light, without stopping for a while, desperately climbing up.If you don't think of a solution early, the spider thread will be cut in two, and you will surely fall into hell again.

Then, Kandata yelled, "Hey, you sinners, this spider thread belongs to our family! Who told you to climb it? Get off! Get off!" It was too late to say it, but it was soon, the spider silk that was still intact just now suddenly snapped from the place where Kandata was suspended.This time it was better for him.In an instant, Kandata was like a spinning top, rolling and rolling, and fell headlong into the dark abyss. At this time, only the spider silk from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is still thin, with a ray of silver light shining, half short and not long, hanging in the midair without stars and moons.

three The Buddha, the World Honored One, stood by the Baolian Pond, always staring at what happened.When Kandata suddenly sank to the bottom of the pool of blood like a stone, the World Honored One showed compassion and started pacing again.Kandata only cared about escaping from the sea of ​​suffering without compassion, so he received the retribution he deserved and fell back into the original hell.In the eyes of the World Honored One, that act must have been too despicable. However, the lotus in the lotus pond of bliss doesn't care about such things.The flower, which is crystal white like jade, tilts the calyx and places it beside the World Honored One's feet. The golden stamen in the heart of the flower sends out fragrance.It was almost noon in the Paradise.

(April 1918) Ailian translation