Before talking about , two problems should be solved first. First, where did the concept of Hades come from? Second, what is the "Wajiao Stone" and "Wajiao Sea" where the Palace of the Lord of Gods is located? If you don't explain these two issues first, it will make people read them in a cloud.
The underworld imagined by later generations
The word "Yan" actually originated from ancient Indian Buddhism, which is a transliteration of Sanskrit Yama. According to Buddhism, the Yama is the god of hell. Under Yama, there are five sense organs. Fresh officials are forbidden to kill, water officials are forbidden to steal, iron officials are forbidden to prostitution, native officials are forbidden to tongue, and heavenly officials are forbidden to drink. And when Buddhism was introduced to China , Yama also localized the concept of ten temples Yama , so the ten temples Yama was actually a hell god who was created twice in China.
Imagination of the Yama
The ten temples of Yama are located in the world below the Wojiao Stone, and the Wojiao Stone is also a concept in Buddhism. It is included in the "Old Huayan Sutra" and is as large as a mountain. The water-absorbing stone is scorched all year round by the fire of Abi Hell below. The sea where the Wojiao Stone is located is the Wojiao Sea, a place where all living beings suffer. "Wajiao" is also accused of endless human desires, as if the stone is so hot and unbearable, miserable.
Yama is actually a simplification of the Yama of the Ten Temples. The only underground gods mentioned in Journey to the West are Bull Head, Horse Face, Judge, Land Lord, Yama, Black and White Impermanence and Jizo Bodhisattva . Among them, the Yama is to judge and distribute all the dead souls. In fact, this is an amalgamation of the rights of the Yamas in the ten temples.
The ten temples of Yama are sorted in order, respectively, Qin Guangwang , Chujiang King , Song Emperor, Wuguan King , Yama King , , , BianThe king of Taishan, the king of the city, the king of equality, the king of rotation. The post will be recounted later.
So in fact, this is a very interesting evolution process. In ancient India Buddhism, the original call of Yamama Luoja and Buddhism were introduced to China, and then localized into the ten temples of Yama, and then simplified and centralized as Yama. Wang, went around a big circle, and finally returned to the starting point.
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