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Chapitre 27

"Impossible—to predict accurately?"

"Impossible. So-called divination is inherently inaccurate. Since it's inaccurate, it means the theory is flawed. However, the divination of the past and present was initially very accurate, which shows that this part comes from another theory—that is, a deception, and thus the trick is exposed. But psychic energy is different. Prayer and exorcism have the issue of effectiveness, which is different from divination, so it's impossible for it to be inaccurate."

Why? Didn't you just say that the future is unpredictable?

"So the future has nothing to do with mediums. Mediums are different from fortune tellers; they don't say things like 'You will encounter such and such tomorrow.' Instead, they say things like 'You will encounter bad things if you don't exorcise evil spirits,' or 'You cannot be happy if you don't buy the treasure pot.' If you still can't be happy after exorcising evil spirits and buying the pot, they will say that your mindset is not right and your worship is insufficient. They can give as many reasons as they want, so it is impossible for them to be inaccurate. Because the purpose of a medium's existence is not to tell people what will happen tomorrow, but what they should do tomorrow."

"So you're even more wicked than a fortune teller, right?"

"Of course not. No matter what methods they use, as long as someone is saved, it doesn't matter. That's what spiritual magic is all about. The dissatisfaction is just a result of the increasing number of mediums who are incompetent and unable to save people. If they can't save people, any medium is a fraud. Therefore, it's completely wrong to make a fuss just because some practices are fraudulent. Because for mediums, fraud is just a given."

"As long as the lie is thorough enough—is there no problem?"

"To put it bluntly, that's exactly right. So what matters isn't the means, but the methods. It's only problematic to use third-rate methods that can be easily detected. As long as they can't be detected, it doesn't matter what methods you use. That's why, since ancient times, spiritual mediums have devoted themselves to studying the techniques of intelligence gathering. How to obtain intelligence is a matter of life and death for them."

"But gathering intelligence isn't that simple, is it? Putting aside the intelligence you just obtained through a chance trick."

“Chance is also a skill. Extracting the maximum amount of information from subtle movements, postures, and the endings of sentences. Accurate situation judgment, the accumulation of preparatory knowledge, and guiding questions based on skillful eloquence—these are psychic abilities. Of course, prior investigation is also a psychic ability, and all these preparations take a lot of effort. So someone like Natsume, who can see through the other person's secrets without doing anything, is the perfect person to be a medium.”

"So, Kyogoku-do, are you Xia-ge's medium?"

"Of course not. Your comprehension is really poor. I was just saying that using so-called superpowers to gather information is very effective. That guy, let alone saving people, would only cause chaos. The key is how to make the information public. That kind of skill is much more complicated than the information gathering itself."

"—So, in other words, all spiritual mediums in the world are, in reality, frauds, is that right?"

"That's right, but I still have to say it again, it doesn't matter if it's a scam. As long as it's not exposed, it's not a scam. That's why I said from the beginning that this is mind control. But later, these mind control techniques were misused by those inaccurate fortune tellers or fake superpowered people, which is why things became complicated."

After pondering for a moment, Toriguchi said, "I see, that's a perfect method. But in this way, wouldn't no one ever complain about the medium? A medium is different from a fortune teller; they can never be inaccurate. And as long as the trick isn't exposed, they won't be suspected."

"No—the problem is that recent spiritual mediums have all messed up the basics. They don't understand the principles I just explained, so their methods are terrible. Their techniques are quickly exposed, and their exorcisms are ineffective, so they can't save people. If they're lucky, some people might believe them, but if they're unlucky, they won't have a single believer. There are also those who are bad at their methods but good at bluffing, and for a while, they can gain people's trust and get them to perform exorcisms a few times, but in the end, they're exposed and end up getting bad criticism. So the spiritual medium business has gradually become more speculative than fortune telling. Recently, the price for spiritual visions, prayers, etc., is much higher than the fee for divination, and the magic pot is ridiculously expensive."

"That's why it was originally so expensive."

"That's right. But some people are born with a stingy personality and think that since they've already spent a lot of money, they have to work harder, and as a result, their luck actually changes; others just happen to have good luck. So over time, they can form the pseudo-religion I just mentioned. But if they don't have such good luck—then there will be a lot of complaints."

"So you mean these clumsy mediums have forgotten their duty as spiritual mediums?"

"That's right. The methods of gathering intelligence are easy to see through, and some people even voluntarily reveal what they shouldn't have revealed—the origin of their psychic powers. Even more foolish are some idiots who call themselves superpowered; or they go back to the theories of fortune tellers, making unnecessary future predictions to make more money, degenerating to the point of being no different from con artists."

"Does that mean, strictly speaking, spiritual mediums weren't originally like fortune tellers who could predict the future?"

"That's right. The 'secret insights' that mediums make aren't about predicting the future, but rather explaining the causes of the current situation—that is, interpreting past karma. As for the future, they express it as 'the current situation is not optimistic.' For them, being able to clearly see whether their predictions are accurate is fatal, as evidenced by the long history of mediums. The risk of prophecy is too great for them to be worthwhile. Therefore, in my opinion, just as fortune tellers who are particularly accurate in predicting the past and present are not trustworthy, mediums who can clearly predict the future are also third-rate."

"I see. Then what about religious figures?"

"Religious people do not make prophecies."

"Aren't there prophets?"

"Those are prophets, meaning those who foresee divine pronouncements. Listen carefully, there is an omnipotent and omniscient God behind religious figures. If a prophecy is made casually and then fails, it means that God's words are inaccurate. Who can take responsibility then? Wouldn't that make the gods lose face? So there's no need to take such a risk. Even the Buddha forbade people from making prophecies."

Is that true?

"Yes, the Pali Canon, which contains the Southern Buddhist Canon and is rich in early Buddhist elements, contains the Buddha's words. He said that the right path for practitioners is to not predict auspicious omens and natural disasters, to read faces, to interpret dreams, and not to judge good or bad fortune. In the same canon, it is also said that Shakyamuni clearly forbade the Brahmanical Vedic spells, physiognomy, dream interpretation, and astrology."

I don't know which classic text he cited—but it seems to be true.

"But I seem to have heard that some sacred texts foretell future events, and I've also heard that highly respected monks have predicted national calamities—"

Unlike Kyogoku-do, I can't offer a single concrete example. Therefore, my rebuttal sounds unconvincing and no different from a child throwing a tantrum.

“The situation you described does exist, but the sacred texts make prophecies thousands or even tens of thousands of years into the future. In short, they are prophecies that people of the same era cannot confirm and that are beyond the scope of common sense. Whether they are correct or not is absolutely impossible to confirm, so there is no risk.”

That's certainly true; they were all prophecies whose accuracy is still unknown.

"As for the prophecy of the high monk you mentioned, that's a special case. The monk who made the prophecy would be considered a monk who has broken his vows, not a seeker of the Way. He could be said to be a medium, no, more like a person with superpowers. If his prophecy is accurate, the religious order will use it for propaganda; if it's not accurate, he will be expelled from the order. The religious order is very pragmatic in this regard. In fact, the Buddhist order doesn't even allow exorcisms, because Buddhism basically doesn't acknowledge the existence of the soul."

"is that so?"

Bird tilted its head and asked in return.

He looked quite surprised. Indeed, I think anyone hearing it for the first time would find it strange. I had heard Kyogoku-do say similar things before, so I wasn't surprised because I had prior knowledge of it.

Torikochi continued to tilt his head, looking suspicious, and said, "But I just had an exorcism performed at a temple near the editorial office this year."

"Near the editorial office—ah, Yutenji Temple in Meguro, right?"

"Yes, it's definitely Youtian Temple. That must be a famous temple, right?"

"Yuten-ji Temple is a famous temple with a long history, and it has a deep connection with the renowned high monk Yuten Shonin, who subdued the vengeful spirit of Arai (a famous ghost story) in Hanyu Village, Kinugawa. Yuten Shonin can be said to be a high monk in Japanese history who pioneered the subjugation of vengeful spirits and the offering of infant spirits. He served as the abbot of Daigen-ji Temple in the Jōdo-jūhachi Tanrin, Dentsuin Temple in Daigen-ji, and the head temple of Zojō-ji Temple, eventually becoming the chief priest. He can be said to have climbed step by step to the highest position in the Jōdo sect. However, before he was greatly promoted to become the abbot of Daigen-ji Temple, he was a religious vagrant."

"Then why?"

"The reason is probably because he's a monk whose job is to exorcise evil spirits. The Pure Land School has a long history and is simple and unpretentious. To them, exorcising evil spirits is a deviation from orthodoxy, something they consider unacceptable, which is why they ostracized Youtian Shangren. However, the fact that he eventually climbed back into the center of power shows that the organization didn't intend to completely sever ties with him. They maintain a distance, considering him heretical in doctrine but highly praising him in their propaganda. That's how the organization operates. But fundamentally, they don't approve of deviations from orthodoxy."

"Kyogoku-do, after listening to all you've said, it's not that I don't trust you, but your words always give me the impression of sophistry. Why are there so many seemingly perfect examples appearing one after another? You wouldn't be hiding things that don't fit your argument because you know nothing, and only relying on examples that can be used as evidence, would you?"

"Unfortunately, I must refute your opinion. I would never pre-prepare a conclusion and then only provide supporting examples to prove it. Unfortunately, to be precise, all the examples that remain are just right examples."

"Are you saying that negative examples will be erased?"

That's the gist of it.

My foolish question was quickly refuted.

"What about the sorcerers in Africa? That's a religion, isn't it? Don't they make prophecies?"

But when Toriguchi asked this simple question, Kyogoku-do slapped his knee with delight and said, "Well asked. It's clear that Toriguchi has a much higher level of understanding than Sekiguchi."

"That last sentence is redundant, I just don't understand it. But I think this guy is just the pot calling the kettle black."

“That’s not true. Toriguchi’s question just now was very significant. It was my mistake that I didn’t define religious figures clearly when I first started. The religious figures I’m referring to here are preachers who possess and have many universal religious elements. The religions in Africa that Toriguchi mentioned are not ordinary religions, but ethnic religions.”

What is a common religion?

"Religions that target individuals for salvation. Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam are examples. The term 'general religion' usually refers to these three, also known as world religions. These religions are open to anyone, regardless of race or nationality, meaning they can expand their influence through proselytizing. The examples I've given this time are not limited to missionaries of these three major religions, but also include religious believers who expand their influence through proselytizing, thus also encompassing heresies or emerging religions. Calling it 'general' is somewhat inaccurate, but it's clearly different from 'ethnic religions,' so let's use it for now." "Then, what are so-called ethnic religions?"

"Compared to general religions that target individuals for salvation, ethnic religions are specifically aimed at specific groups such as ethnic groups, nations, settlements, and kinship ties. These religions have neither the need for nor the ability to proselytize. Local Shinto and other religions fall into this category. To convert to such a religion, one must obtain citizenship, become a villager, establish kinship ties, and so on. Indeed, there are power struggles between tribes, and between different ethnic religious groups, but fundamentally, ethnic religions lack the doctrinal aspect of increasing followers or expanding influence. Therefore, while ethnic religions need sorcerers as religious symbols, their value is almost indistinguishable from that of mediums. Although sorcerers possess religious appeal, those in ethnic religions are merely agents of God, lacking the characteristics of religious figures who diligently preach and spread doctrine. Moreover, they have an interchangeable relationship with God himself, which, based on the previous classification, should also be categorized as mediums."

The topic seems to have expanded again.

"But if we accept your statement without question, then the Shinto priests, that is, people like you, should be considered mediums, right? But judging from my impression, people like the priests and priests can be barely accepted as religious figures, but calling them mediums seems far from the truth."

My pronouncements are always based on weak evidence such as impressions.

"The sage is originally a medium. It's just that the complexity of Shinto is accumulated over a long period of time. Shinto initially occurred as a blood-related religion, where people with blood ties would naturally live together, and later it developed into a regional religion. You should have heard of the guardian deities of villages, right?"

"Yes, I have."

“In the past, each clan and village guarded a god, so it is said that there are eight million gods in Japan. On the other hand, as the nation took shape, political hierarchical relationships emerged between various groups. Finally, religious gods also developed master-servant or kinship relationships with each other, and went through a process of abolition and unification.”

"The abolition and unification of the gods?"

"That's right. In addition to the original nature of village guardian deities, a national religion evolved. Then, even worse, Buddhism, a popular foreign religion, was introduced to Japan. Undoubtedly, Buddhism was much more solid in terms of religious scale and structure, so Shinto intended to strengthen its constitution by referencing the structure of Buddhism."

"Has the divine been influenced by Buddhism?"

"Of course it was influenced. Shinto adopted a suitable system from Buddhism to reform its own structure. As a result, a national religion full of universal religious characteristics but not at all universal religion gradually formed. Shinto gradually matured under the intertwining of these two characteristics. Around the Meiji period, after severing the gradually separating and sedimented local religions and Buddhist characteristics, State Shinto was born, pretending that it had always been this way. But tracing its origins, Shinto is actually no different from African tribal religions. The shrine priest and the shaman in the secret realm are the same in nature. Moreover, the shrine priest originally adopted a system of rotating spirit possession."

"Taking turns to summon spirits?"

"That's right, it takes turns every year. This year it's your turn to be in charge, next year it's his turn."

"But Mr. Chuzenji, can you really shoulder the heavy responsibility of a spiritual medium by taking turns? Do you think spiritual abilities are just passed around like rumors on a community bulletin board?"

"Of course. Spiritual abilities are not special abilities; anyone can do them as long as they know the method. Moreover, this system of rotating spirit summoning is a very efficient system. If it were a hereditary system, there would be concerns about the possibility of the priestly lineage dying out, because the God would have to be the sacrifice."

Why is the God a victim?

"If nothing happens during the term of office, it's fine; you just need to pass the divine power on to the next person. But if a natural disaster or calamity occurs, that is, an unforeseen calamity, the divine head must take responsibility."

"How will you take responsibility?"

"To take responsibility with death. Because the disaster is the responsibility of the medium, that is, the god. The god, who should be omnipotent, made a mistake, so of course he can only atone with death. Listen carefully, in ancient times, a priestess who made a mistake in conveying divine words had to die. Therefore, when the divine office became synonymous with power—that is, when the divine office began to become hereditary—the god-master—the medium, no longer casually conveyed divine decrees of future prophecies. Although it was not mentioned on the surface, everyone knew that the prophecies were inaccurate."

"Because the risk is too great?"

Torikochi gave a more definitive response than I did.

“That’s right. As Toriguchi just said, there are still ‘spiritual mediums who communicate through language’ in uncivilized areas, but they must also bear corresponding responsibilities. So, spiritual mediums cannot make future predictions if they are not willing to take responsibility.”

Bird Mouth crossed his hands in front of his chest again and lowered his head in deep thought.

I kept quiet because it wasn't appropriate to interrupt at this stage.

As a result, I've ended up here to listen to Kyogoku-do's lecture again. At this rate, I don't know when I'll be able to convey my original purpose for visiting—to discuss the order of the works being included.

Bird Mouth tilted his head slightly, raised his face, and quietly said, "I've tried to organize this. Please correct me if there are any errors. First of all, anyone who claims to have superpowers, regardless of the circumstances, should be criticized if it's not true. Even if they cleverly deceive others on the spot, and all their tricks go undetected, they should still be examined, because superpowered individuals are absolutely not allowed to engage in fraudulent activities—"

"That's exactly right."

"Next are fortune tellers. As long as they perform their divination duties well, some fraudulent introductory parts can be tolerated depending on the circumstances. However, if they mention areas outside their area of expertise, such as prayers and offerings, you must be wary—"

"That's right."

"Next is the medium. As long as their scams aren't exposed, they should be tolerated. So even if you see through their tricks, you shouldn't criticize them. However, you need to be wary of incompetent mediums who can't save lives, or irresponsible mediums who make random predictions and charge excessively high fees—"

Kyogoku-do stroked his chin with great pleasure.

"Finally, regarding religious figures, as long as their attitude towards faith or the doctrine itself is sound, they should not be criticized or attacked casually. However, activities unrelated to faith or doctrine must be clearly defined and considered—"

Kyogoku-do lifted his hand from his chin and gave a high five.

"Toriguchi, you are a real talent. It's such a waste that you're stuck as an editor in that lousy magazine. You've clearly outlined my intentions, which is quite different from Sekiguchi's approach."

That's really going too far. It seems I've been left far behind.

"Kyogoku-do, you're so long-winded. If you just wanted to say what Toriguchi just said, why didn't you just say it like that? The premise is way too long."

"If that's the case, someone like you would definitely disagree. You'd say that no matter the outcome, fraud is fraud, and once the trick is over, it should be thoroughly criticized, right?"

That's true, but this idea doesn't change even after listening to a long explanation.

"Kyogoku-do, you're right. You said that religions are duty-bound to spread their teachings, and psychics are duty-bound to provide relief, and that it's justifiable to use any means necessary for this purpose, which I can somewhat accept. But even so, a lie is still a lie; knowingly turning a blind eye to fraud is something I really can't agree with. It's this attitude of not being able to cut out the hidden parts that emboldens those so-called 'occultists' in the world. I can understand that psychics or religious figures have a history of establishment and a noble cause to uphold, but in modern times, shouldn't religious fortune-telling and superpowers be treated equally?"

I was unwilling to give up and continued to pester him. While half of what I said was sincere, the rest was entirely an attempt to vent my frustration at being ignored. Kyogoku raised one eyebrow and sighed through his nose.

“Sekiguchi, you seem to know only a little bit, but you seem to know a lot of obscure terms. How many people in Japan have even heard of the word ‘occult’? Toriguchi, have you ever heard of it?”

"I have heard of A-Keigo and Kanpei (A-Keigo is the concubine of Oishi Kuranosuke, the protagonist of the famous Kabuki and Joruri play 'Chushingura,' while Kanpei is A-Keigo's brother. The pronunciation of A-Keigo and Kanpei in Japanese is the same as that of mysticism)."

"See? Most people have probably heard of Chushingura, but very few have heard of this term. Besides, did you even understand the true meaning of 'occult' before you spoke? Do you even know what 'occult' means?"

"Didn't you say it yourself? I remember it meant something mysterious or supernatural, right? Isn't 'occultism' translated as theosophy?"

"'Occult' originally meant 'hidden'. It is said to have originated from Agrippa's work 'The Hidden Philosophy,' a 16th-century work, indicating that the history of mysticism can be traced back to earlier times. However, it is certain that after the Renaissance, mysticism was initially called 'occult science.' The Japanese, seeing 'science,' always tried to translate it as '科学' (kēxué, science), which led to the misunderstanding that it was a strange science opposed to natural science. For example, 'psychic science' was translated as '心灵科学' (xīnlíng xēngxué, mind science), which is truly foolish. 'Science' originally meant knowledge, so 'occult science' should be translated as 'hidden knowledge,' and 'psychic science' should be translated as 'spiritual knowledge,' having nothing to do with science. Putting these aside, there is a reason why mysticism was established during the Renaissance, because knowledge that had been abandoned was revived under the trend of the time."

What exactly is this "discarded knowledge"?