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Ubazakura うば桜 / 姥桜 Cherry-tree of the Milk-Nurse
KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
. Lafcadio Hearn, Koizumi Yakumo 小泉八雲 .
(1850-1904) (Koizumi Yagumo)
- Introduction -
. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja - Fudo Myoo .
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- quote
UBAZAKURA
Three hundred years ago, in the village called Asamimura, in the district called Onsengori, in the province of Iyô, there lived a good man named Tokubei. This Tokubei was the richest person in the district, and the muraosa, or headman, of the village. In most matters he was fortunate; but he reached the age of forty without knowing the happiness of becoming a father. Therefore he and his wife, in the affliction of their childlessness, addressed many prayers to the divinity Fudô Myô Ô, who had a famous temple, called Saihôji, in Asamimura.
At last their prayers were heard: the wife of Tokubei gave birth to a daughter. The child was very pretty; and she received the name of Tsuyu 露. As the mother's milk was deficient, a milk-nurse, called O-Sodé お袖, was hired for the little one.
O-Tsuyu grew up to be a very beautiful girl; but at the age of fifteen she fell sick, and the doctors thought that she was going to die. In that time the nurse O-Sodé , who loved O-Tsuyu with a real mother's love, went to the temple Saihôji, and fervently prayed to Fudô-Sama on behalf of the girl. Every day, for twenty-one days, she went to the temple and prayed; and at the end of that time, O-Tsuyu suddenly and completely recovered.
Then there was great rejoicing in the house of Tokubei; and he gave a feast to all his friends in celebration of the happy event. But on the night of the feast the nurse O-Sodé was suddenly taken ill; and on the following morning, the doctor, who had been summoned to attend her, announced that she was dying.
Then the family, in great sorrow, gathered about her bed, to bid her farewell. But she said to them:
"It is time that I should tell you something which you do not know. My prayer has been heard.
I besought Fudô-Sama that I might be permitted to die in the place of O-Tsuyu;
and this great favor has been granted me. Therefore you must not grieve about my death.... But I have one request to make. I promised Fudô-Sama that I would have a cherry-tree planted in the garden of Saihôji, for a thank-offering and a commemoration. Now I shall not be able myself to plant the tree there: so I must beg that you will fulfill that vow for me .... Good-bye, dear friends; and remember that I was happy to die for O-Tsuyu's sake."
source : www.cosmoclear.jp
After the funeral of O-Sodé, a young cherry-tree,-- the finest that could be found,-- was planted in the garden of Saihôji by the parents of O-Tsuyu. The tree grew and flourished; and on the sixteenth day of the second month of the following year,-- the anniversary of O-Sodé's death,-- it blossomed in a wonderful way.
So it continued to blossom for two hundred and fifty-four years,--always upon the sixteenth day of the second month;--and its flowers, pink and white, were like the nipples of a woman's breasts, bedewed with milk.
And the people called it Ubazakura, the Cherry-tree of the Milk-Nurse.
- source : www.gutenberg.org
This Japanese version tells of a prayer to Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来 Buddha of Medicine, at the temple Taiho-Ji in Matsuyama.
角木長者伝説とも呼ばれる。
その昔、この地に角木長者と呼ばれる豪族がいた。彼は子宝に恵まれなかった。薬師如来に祈りを捧げたところ娘が生まれた。娘の名を「露」と名付けた。露には「お袖」という名の乳母を雇い大切に育てた。お袖の乳の出が悪くなり、再び薬師如来に祈ると乳が出るようになった。そこで、お礼にお堂を建立した。これが大宝寺の始まりという。
露は15歳になった時に重病にかかった。お袖は自分の命と引き替えに露を助けて欲しいと薬師如来に祈った。すると露の病気は平癒した。その祝いの席でお袖は病に倒れた。お薬師様との約束と言って、お袖は薬も飲まず治療を拒み、とうとう亡くなった。亡くなる直前に「お薬師様へのお礼に桜の木を植えて下さい。」と言い残した。長者は約束どおりお堂の前に桜の木を植えた。その桜は枝が伸びないうちから幹に2～3輪の花が咲いた。その花はお袖の乳房のような形で、母乳のような色であったという。その後、母乳の出が悪い女性が参拝に訪れるようになった。
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Taihooji 大宝寺 Taiho-Ji
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
愛媛県松山市南江戸5-10-1 / 5 Chome-10-1 Minamiedo, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime
source : sji.mints.ne.jp
The main statue is Amida Nyorai 木造阿弥陀如来坐像.
The temple has been founded in 701 by a noble family, 小千（越智）伊予守玉興.
- Homepage of the temple
- source : www.kokuhoworld.com
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. O-Mamori お守り Amulets and Talismans .
. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja - Fudo Myoo .
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- - - - - H A I K U - - - - -
At the time of Basho, ubazakura was a kind of yaezakura 八重桜 or 避寒桜 / higanzakura 川岸桜. It blooms early when the tree has no leaves yet 葉無し (ha nashi), a pun with 歯なし, no teeth, like an old woman.
source : blog.goo.ne.jp/zonbi116
姥桜咲くや老後の思い出
ubazakura saku ya roogo no omoi-ide
the old-lady cherry
in bloom: a remembrance
of her old age
Tr. Barnhill
Basho age 21.
. Matsuo Basho Archives 松尾芭蕉 .
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うしろから支へ柱や姥桜
ushiro kara sasaebashira ya ubazakura
the pillar supporting it
from behind -
this Ubazakura tree
Tr. Gabi Greve
十三の年より咲て姥桜
我知らじ老いたるをこそ姥桜
花守は妻こそなけれ姥桜
From his haiku collection called 姥桜.
. Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 in Matsuyama 松山 .
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このわたや遠方に散る姥桜
増田まさみ
万木皆姥桜なり帰り花
板東太郎
花散りぬこれを名づけて姥桜
尚白母
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source : ilove.manabi-ehime.jp
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. Saihoo-Ji 西方寺 Saiho-Ji in Nagano .
"Temple in the Western Direction"
. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .
. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .
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