Sanzu no Kawa River

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Sanzu no Kawa 三途の川 River Sanzu, the river on the way to hell
River of Three Roads, River of Three Crossing

sanzu no yami　三途の闇 the darkness of the Three Tortures


by Tosa Mitsunobu

the River of Three Crossings, is a Japanese Buddhist tradition and religious belief similar to the River Styx. It is believed that on the way to the afterlife, the dead must cross the river, which is why a Japanese funeral includes placing six coins (rokumonsen) in the deceased's casket.

The Sanzu River is popularly believed to be located in Mount Osore (Osorezan　恐山), a suitably desolate and remote region of Aomori, Northern Japan.

- - - - - Other places with this name:
甘楽町 Kanra, Gunma
長南町, Choonan, Chōnan, Chose, Chiba
Zao, 刈田郡 Katta, Miyagi
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. 土佐光信 Tosa Mitsunobu (1434 - 1525) .

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sanzu 三途／三塗 the "Three Tortures" of hell:

Fire Torture 火途 kazu
by burning in fire or chauldrons of hot water

Blade Torture 刀途 toozu
in the World of Hungry Ghosts, gakidoo 餓鬼道

Blood Torture 血途 kechizu
lit. "spilling of blood"
in the World of Animals, chikushoodoo 畜生道.

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quote
. . . when a child dies, its soul has to cross the River Sanzu (Sanzu No Kawa, River of Three Roads, River of Three Crossings, 三途の川), which lies between the first and second Judges of Hell (between the kings Shinko-o and Shoko-o.

At the river's edge (before crossing it), the bewildered soul is advised by the hellish hag Datsueba to make a pile of pebbles on which to climb toward paradise. But before the pile reaches any small height, the hag and underworld demons viciously knock it down.

After the first trial by Judge Shinko-o, the dead who are found innocent can cross the River Sanzu (River of Three Crossings), walking on a bridge guided by Jizo Bosatsu. The guilty, however, must swim across deep waters and the less guilty ford across a rapid stream. At the other side of the river, the old hag Datsueba waits for the guilty to arrive and then robs them of their clothes. Those who arrive without their clothes are instead stripped of their skin.

In most accounts, Jizo Bosatsu guides the innocent children across the bridge. The guilty, however, must swim across deep water and the less guilty must ford a rapid stream. In other accounts, Jizo helps the children wade the river safely. The story goes like this. When the souls of the deceased young children attempt to swim across the River Sanzu, they are overcome, for the river is too long or flowing too fast to cross. So instead, they build stone towers, pebble by pebble, as penance and prayer to receive salvation. But to no avail. For demons appear out of nowhere and destroy their stone towers -- thereby destroying any hope of crossing the river. However, if living parents and relatives have faith in Jizo Bosatsu, Jizo will come to their aid, and help their lost children wade the river safely, avoiding the terrible fury of the demons.

MORE
Sai no Kawara 賽の河原　Riverbed of the Netherworld　－Japanese Limbo for Children
source : Mark Schumacher


. Sai no Kawara 賽の河原 and Jizo Bosatsu .



source : shinshizo.com/... 三途の川 の ほとり
地獄曼荼羅（遠賀廼井山井岡寺蔵）

Jizo and Oni at Sai no Kawara

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source :　dada19721104

Waiting at the banks of the river :

. Datsueba 奪衣婆 or 脱衣婆 the Old Hag of Hell, Sanzu no Baba 三途の婆 .


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. rokumonsen 六文銭　six coins to cross the river of Hell .


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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

................................................................................. Aomori 青森県
むつ市 Mutsu town

sanzubashi 三途橋 Bridge over the river Sanzu at Osorezan
When a sinfull, bad and wicked person came to this bridge, to him it looked as thin as a thread and the leaves of the willow tree looked like dangerous snakes.
The huge boulder in the back looked like an oni-ishi 鬼石 demon stone with sparkling eyes of a serpent.
The water under the bridge would cleanse the sins, but its sound was fearful and the sinner would not dare to cross.


. . . CLICK here for more Photos !

. onishi 鬼石の鬼伝説　Onishi Demon Stone Legends .

. Osorezan 恐山 - Aomori .




................................................................................. Fukushima 福島県
福島市 Fukushima city 飯坂町 Iizaka town

. A man on his deathbed at age 33 .




................................................................................. Niigata 新潟県
五泉市 Gosen city

. higan sama 彼岸様 Honorable Equinox person .




................................................................................. Toyama 富山県

. Sanzu no Okawa 三途の大川 Great River to The Other World. .
over the river 岩倉川 Iwakuragawa, Tateyama Mountain Range.


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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -
19 三途の川 (02) collecting

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bridge at Osorezan

三伏の三途の川をバスで越す
sanpuku no Sanzu no Kawa o basu de kosu

I cross river Sanzu
to the hottest summer days
by bus

Izumi Yuuko 泉ゆう子 Izumi Yuko


. sanpuku 三伏 (さんぷく) three hottest days of summer .
kigo for late summer

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麻酔もどり三途の川よりもどる深呼吸
masui modori Sanzu no Kawa yori modoru shin kokyuu

waking up from anesthesia
and back from River Sanzu
I take a deep breath

Kasukabe Seiji 日下部正治

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花吹雪三途の川を越えにけり
hana fubuki Sanzu no Kawa o koe ni keri

cherry blossom storm
comes right over
the River of Hell

Toba Saburoo 鳥羽三郎 Toba Saburo


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sansu no kawa

. jigoku no oni 地獄の鬼 demons of the Buddhist hell .

. Osorezan 恐山 - Aomori .

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