[第三段]
Scene 3

English

Maudgalyāyana (Mokuren), when he gained the 6 traits of the Buddha (the Abhijñā[1]), thought to recompense for the favours of his dead mother, he was born in the hungry ghost realm to see his mother’s place of reincarnation. Mokuren is sad and crying, puts food into a begging bowl, and goes to the place his mother is and gives this to her. His mother gets it [the food], but when she tries to consume it, before the food even enters her mouth, it completely turns into fire. Mokuren makes a pilgrimage to the Buddha’s presence while sad, and he inquired about a plan that must save his mother.

Notes

Depictions of the story of Mokuren appeared frequently between the twelfth and fourteenth century. Mokuren is also depicted in the Shōjuraigōji Six Paths Scrolls, and his story appear frequently in Buddhist canonical literature (Chusid, 2016).

[1] Abhijñā - a Buddhist technical term. It refers to "a set of extraordinary powers and knowledge, including remembrance of past lives, telepathy, clairaudience, clairvoyance, telekinesis, various other 'supernatural' powers, and, importantly, knowledge of the true nature of reality and certainty that one has attained awakening" and is the highest goal of the Buddhist path (Fiordalis, 2013).

References

Chusid, M. (2016). Picturing the afterlife: the Shōjuraigōji Six Paths Scrolls and salvation in medieval Japan. [Dissertation, Princeton University]. Retrieved from: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1830782609?parentSessionId=ZCdfWmIeh0FjojTZS%2FFLRBAKpRoInMAJoQz2IcSD45M%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=14757

Fiordalis, D. (2013). Abhijñā/Ṛddhi (Extraordinary knowledge and powers). Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved from: https://www-oxfordbibliographies-com.ezproxy.library.sydney.edu.au/view/document/obo-9780195393521/obo-9780195393521-0112.xml?rskey=fwctmh&result=3