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In
East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
and
Buddhist mythology The Buddhist traditions have created and maintained a vast body of mythological literature. The central myth of Buddhism is the life of the Buddha. This is told in relatively realistic terms in the earliest texts, and was soon elaborated into ...
, Yama () or King Yan-lo/Yan-lo Wang (), also known as King Yan/Yan Wang (), Grandfatherly King Yan (), Lord Yan (), and Yan-lo, Son of Heaven (), is the King of Hell and a
dharmapala A ''dharmapāla'' (, , ja, 達磨波羅, 護法善神, 護法神, 諸天善神, 諸天鬼神, 諸天善神諸大眷屬) is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "'' dharma'' protector" in Sanskrit, and the ''dharmapālas'' are a ...
(wrathful god) said to judge the dead and preside over the Narakas and the cycle of afterlife saṃsāra. Although based on the god
Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...
of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has spread and developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity. He has also spread far more widely and is known in most countries where
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
is practiced, including China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam,
Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
, Mongolia, Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
, Myanmar and Laos.


In Theravāda Buddhism

In the Pali canon, the
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
states that a person who has ill-treated their parents, ascetics, holy persons, or elders is taken upon his death to Yama. Yama then asks the ignoble person if he ever considered his own ill conduct in light of birth, deterioration, sickness, worldly retribution and death. In response to Yama's questions, such an ignoble person repeatedly answers that he failed to consider the
karmic Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
consequences of his reprehensible actions and as a result is sent to a brutal hell "so long as that evil action has not exhausted its result." In the Pali commentarial tradition, the scholar
Buddhaghosa Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator and philosopher. He worked in the Great Monastery (''Mahāvihāra'') at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajjavāda school and in t ...
's commentary to the Majjhima Nikaya describes Yama as a (), a "being in a mixed state", sometimes enjoying celestial comforts and at other times punished for the fruits of his
karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
. However, Buddhaghosa considered his rule as a king to be just. Modern Theravādin countries portray Yama sending old age, disease, punishments, and other calamities among humans as warnings to behave well. At death, they are summoned before Yama, who examines their character and dispatches them to their appropriate rebirth, whether to earth or to one of the heavens or hells. Sometimes there are thought to be two or four Yamas, each presiding over a distinct Hell.


In Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese mythology

In
Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...
, Chinese religion, and Taoism, King Yan () is the
god of death Many have incorporated a god of death into their mythology or religion. As death, along with birth, is among the major parts of human life, these deities may often be one of the most important deities of a religion. In some religions in which ...
and the ruler of Diyu, overseeing the "Ten Kings of Hell" in its capital of Youdu. He is also known as King Yanluo/Yanluo Wang (), a transcription of the Sanskrit for "King Yama" (/, ). In both ancient and modern times, Yan is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a judge's cap or a crown which bears the character for "king" (). He typically appears on Chinese
hell money Hell banknotes in Thailand resembling United States Dollar, and Thai Baht banknotes">Thai_Baht.html" ;"title="United States Dollar, and Thai Baht">United States Dollar, and Thai Baht banknotes Hell money () is a modernized form of joss paper p ...
in the position reserved for political figures on regular currency. According to legend, he is often equated with Yama from Buddhism, but actually, Yanluo Wang has his own number of stories and long been worshiped in China. Yan is not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld and passes judgment on all the dead. He always appears in a male form, and his minions include a judge who holds in his hands a brush and a book listing every soul and the allotted death date for every life. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome guardians of hell, bring the newly dead, one by one, before Yan for judgement. Men or women with merit will be rewarded good future lives or even revival in their
previous life Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
. Men or women who committed misdeeds will be sentenced to
suffering Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, may be an experience of unpleasantness or aversion, possibly associated with the perception of harm or threat of harm in an individual. Suffering is the basic element that makes up the negative valence of a ...
or miserable future lives. In some versions, Yan divides Diyu into eight, ten, or eighteen courts each ruled by a Yan King, such as King Chujiang, who rules the court reserved for thieves and murderers. The spirits of the dead, on being judged by Yan, are supposed to either pass through a term of enjoyment in a region midway between the earth and the heaven of the gods or to undergo their measure of
punishment Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular act ...
in the nether world. Neither location is permanent and after a time, they return to Earth in new bodies. "Yan" was sometimes considered to be a position in the celestial hierarchy, rather than an individual. There were said to be cases in which an honest mortal was rewarded the post of Yan and served as the judge and ruler of the underworld. Some said common people like
Bao Zheng Bao Zheng (; 5 March 999 – 3 July 1062), commonly known as Bao Gong (), was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Emperor Renzong of Song, Renzong in China's Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao consis ...
,
Fan Zhongyan Fan Zhongyan (5 September 989 – 19 June 1052) from Wu County of Suzhou (Jiangsu Province, China), courtesy name Xiwen (), ratified as the Duke of Wenzheng () posthumously, and conferred as Duke of Chu () posthumously, was a Chinese poet, pol ...
,
Zhang Binglin Zhang Binglin (January 12, 1869 – June 14, 1936), also known by his art name Zhang Taiyan, was a Chinese philologist, textual critic, philosopher, and revolutionary. His philological works include ''Wen Shi'' (文始 "The Origin of Writing"), t ...
became the Yan at night or after death. Drawing from various Indian texts and local culture, the Chinese tradition proposes several versions concerning the number of hells and deities who are at their head. It seems that originally there were two competing versions: 136 hells (8 big ones each divided into 16 smaller ones) or 18 hells, each of them being led by a subordinate king of Yanluo Wang. They were strongly challenged from the Tang dynasty by a new version influenced by
Daoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' T ...
, which adopted Yanluo Wang to make it the fifth of a set of ten kings ( , Guardian king-sorter of the ten chambers) each named at the head of a hell by the
Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...
. The other nine kings are: Qinguangwang (), Chujiangwang (), Songdiwang (), Wuguanwang (), Bianchengwang (), Taishanwang (), Pingdengwang () Dushiwang () Zhuanlunwang (), typically Taoist names. They compete with
Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
, another Taoist god of the world of the dead. Yanluo Wang remains nevertheless the most famous, and by far the most present in the iconography. However, then it disappears completely from the list, giving way to a historical figure, a magistrate appointed during his lifetime as judge of the dead by a superior deity. This magistrate is most often
Bao Zheng Bao Zheng (; 5 March 999 – 3 July 1062), commonly known as Bao Gong (), was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Emperor Renzong of Song, Renzong in China's Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao consis ...
, a famous judge who lived during the Song dynasty. Sometimes he is accompanied by three assistants named "Old Age", "Illness" and "Death". Yama is also regarded as one of the '' Twenty Devas'' ( ) or the '' Twenty-Four Devas'' ( ), a group of protective
Dharmapala A ''dharmapāla'' (, , ja, 達磨波羅, 護法善神, 護法神, 諸天善神, 諸天鬼神, 諸天善神諸大眷屬) is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "'' dharma'' protector" in Sanskrit, and the ''dharmapālas'' are a ...
s, in Chinese Buddhism. Some of these Chinese beliefs subsequently spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. In Japan, he is called Enma (, prev. "Yenma"), King Enma (, ), and Great King Enma (, ). In Korea, Yan is known as Yeom-ra () and Great King Yeom-ra' (, ). In Vietnam, these Buddhist deities are known as (閻羅王) or (閻王), (冥王) and are venerated as a council of all ten kings who oversee underworld realm of ''âm phủ'', and according to the Vietnamese concept, the ten kings of the hell will sometimes merge into one and the merged version is called (酆都大帝), but people will still call he by the common name of the ten kings is the . is a superstition in Japan often told to scare children into telling the truth. A
Japanese proverb A may take the form of: *a , *an , or *a . Although "proverb" and "saying" are practically synonymous, the same cannot be said about "idiomatic phrase" and "four-character idiom". Not all ''kan'yōku'' and ''yojijukugo'' are proverbial. For in ...
states . Jizō is typically portrayed with a serene, happy expression whereas Enma is typically portrayed with a thunderous, furious expression. The ''kotowaza'' alludes to changes in people's behaviour for selfish reasons depending on their circumstances.


Variable identity

In the syncretic and non-dogmatic world of Chinese religious views, Yanluo Wang's interpretation can vary greatly from person to person. While some recognize him as a
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
deity, others regard him as a Taoist counterpart of Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. Generally seen as a stern deity, Yanluo Wang is also a righteous and fair Supreme Judge in underworld or skillful advocate of Dharma.


In Tibetan Buddhism

In Tibetan Buddhism Yama occurs in the form of ''Yama Dharmaraja'', also known as ''Kalarupa'', ''Shinje'' or ''Shin Je Cho Gyal'' (
Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken diale ...
: གཤིན་རྗེ་, ''Gshin.rje''). He is both regarded with horror as the prime mover of the cycle of death and rebirth and revered as a guardian of spiritual practice. In the popular
mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...
of the
Bhavachakra The bhavacakra (Sanskrit: भवचक्र; Pāli: ''bhavacakka''; Tibetan: སྲིད་པའི་འཁོར་ལོ, Wylie: ''srid pa'i 'khor lo'') is a symbolic representation of saṃsāra (or cyclic existence). It is found on the ...
, all of the realms of life are depicted between the jaws or in the arms of a monstrous Shinje. Shinje is sometimes shown with a consort, Chamundi, or a sister, Yami, and sometimes pursued by Yamantaka (conqueror of death). He is often depicted with the head of a buffalo, three round eyes, sharp horns entwined with flame, fierce and angry. In his right hand he often has a stick with a skull and in his left a lasso. On his head he has a crown of skulls. In many depictions he is standing on a recumbent bull crushing a man lying on his back. He is also portrayed with an erect penis.


In popular culture

* In popular 90s manga series ''
YuYu Hakusho is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The series tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and killed by a car while attempting to save a child's life. After a number of ...
'',
King Yemma ''Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the cha ...
(Lord Enma in the Manga) (Enma Daiō) is the king of all ogres who judge the dead. * In the popular bullet hell series ''
Touhou The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese ''doujin'' soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995, the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed ...
'', the final boss of the game ''
Phantasmagoria of Flower View is the ninth official game in the ''Touhou Project'' scrolling shoot 'em up series. It is often abbreviated as PoFV in English speaking circles. ''Phantasmagoria of Flower View'', like the third ''Touhou'' game, '' Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream'', ...
'' is the character of Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu. * In the
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening o ...
series '' Hell Girl'', the titular protagonist is called Ai Enma. * In the manga series ''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'', the captain Commander of the Gotei 13 is called General Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto which is based on Yama's name while also fulfilling the same role as him. * In the '' One Piece'' manga series, a legendary Katana was named Enma after the Buddhist King of Hell. * In the 2012 video game ''
Spelunky ''Spelunky'' is a 2008 source-available 2D platform game created by independent developer Derek Yu and released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. It was remade for the Xbox 360 in 2012, with ports of the new version following for various platf ...
'', he is the secret Final Boss, located in 5-4 of Hell. Along with him spawn Horse Head and Ox-Face, named after, and inspired by their mythological counterparts. * In the '' Yo-kai Watch'' franchise, Lord Enma is the young ruler of the Yo-kai World, who became ruler after the death of his grandfather Ancient Enma. * In ''
Naruto Shippuden ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. Th ...
'', the summoned demon by the Naraka Path of Pain is based on Enma. * In ''
Yakuza 0 ''Yakuza 0'' is an action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is the sixth main entry in the '' Yakuza series'' and a prequel to the original game. It was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Ja ...
'', Daisaku Kuze's tattoo depicts Enma, the judge and ruler of Hell on his back. * In the anime series ''
Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 ''Dragon Ball'' anime series and adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original ' ...
'', the king of Spirit World is called King Yama. * In ''
Ojarumaru is a Japanese anime series created by Rin Inumaru, produced by NHK Enterprises, and animated by Gallop. The series has aired on NHK E-Tele since October 1998, making it the second longest-running anime on NHK behind '' Nintama Rantaro'', an ...
'', one of the antagonists is Great King Enma (officially written as エンマ大王 ''Enma Daiō''). He lives in a mansion at Enma-kai (, "Enma World") in the
Heian era The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
. He is portrayed as short-tempered, yet kind-hearted. He uses a pink scepter to send the dead to either heaven or a lecture room. During the beginning of the series, Ojarumaru steals Enma's scepter. Enraged, Enma sends the Kooni Trio to retrieve it. While waiting for the oni to return with his scepter, he judges the dead using a book. * The Yama King is the final boss of the game '' Shadowrun: Hong Kong''. This Yama King is an entity from the astral plane trying to come to earth through a tear between realities under the rebuilt
Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated '' de jure'' Imperial Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New ...
, but is stopped by the team of shadowrunners lead by the protagonist.


See also


Notes


References


Sources

* * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yama (Buddhism And Chinese Mythology) Justice gods Buddhist gods Chinese gods Japanese gods Death gods Underworld gods Dharmapalas Buddhism and death Twenty-Four Protective Deities ja:閻魔