➠ Shared Worship Of Bodhisattvas Associated With Megumi And Yuuji’s Domains:

➠ Shared worship of Bodhisattvas associated with Megumi and Yuuji’s domains:

Since we know that Megumi’s domain hand symbol is associated with Bodhisattva Kannon (Japanese manifestation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) and Yuuji’s domain hand symbol is associated with Bodhisattva Jizō (Japanese manifestation of Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha), I wanted to mention a few connections in their worship from the Japanese Buddhist tradition.

To note, Kannon and Jizō are two of the most venerated Bodhisattvas in Japanese Buddhism, who have distinct roles and attributes, yet a notable connection (similarity) between them, reflecting the intertwined nature of the compassionate qualities they embody.

Generally, both Kannon and Jizō are revered for their compassion. Kannon is known as the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, who hears the cries of beings in distress and offers aid. Jizō, similarly, is the protector of children, travellers, and souls in the afterlife, often depicted as a compassionate figure who aids those in suffering. Additionally, they are both seen as saviours and protectors. Kannon offers salvation and relief from suffering, often invoked in times of need. Jizō is believed to help souls in the six realms of existence, particularly in the realms of hell, where he provides comfort and aid to suffering beings.

Now, let’s delve deeper into the intertwined nature of their worship. In this post, I mentioned that the veneration day of Jizō is celebrated on the 18th and 24th days of every month. Traditionally, the 18th day of the month was assigned to Kannon. However, the veneration of Jizō on that day is mentioned in a Japanese version of the Jizō and Ten Kings sutra, the Bussetsu Jizō Bosatsu Hosshin In’nen Jūōkyō (仏説地蔵菩薩発心因縁十王経), a product of the late Heian period said to be based on the Chinese version, the Yü-hsiu-shih-wang-sheng-ch’i-ching (預修十王生七經). According to more contemporary writings, commoners, merchants and townsfolk often held meetings together in honour of them throughout the Muromachi and Edo periods on the same date. In addition to this point, Reigenki (地蔵菩薩霊験記, stories of Jizō compiled by Jitsuei of Mii-dera in the mid-Heian period) and Konjaku (今昔物語集, ‘Anthology of Tales Old and New’) describe many Jizō devotees in the Japanese tales as Lotus Sutra reciters; a further examination of which shows that Jizō is expected to function rather like Kannon, who is a Bodhisattva most closely related to the Lotus Sutra, through the merits and virtue of it. When one thinks of Lotus Sutra, one usually thinks of Kannon, but old recordings show that their worship was shared not only in the manner of date but in the text as well.

The main reason is that the Lotus Sutra itself declares that the sutra will be of special value in the degenerate age and people were seeking benefits in their present lives as well as deliverance in the future. In satisfying such needs, Kannon, closely related to the Lotus Sutra, was an ideal Bodhisattva who would appear in this life, grant the mundane wishes of devotees, and even deliver them into Amida’s Pure Land (a concept of a celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism where Buddhists aspire to be reborn). As repeatedly described in the above-mentioned Jizō stories of Reigenki and Konjaku, Jizō would also appear in this present life and help ignorant sentient beings in the age of degeneration. He would guide his devotees so that they would not fall into hell, and he would even save those who had already fallen into the pit. These characteristics of Jizō as a saviour parallel those of Kannon. The merit of the Lotus Sutra and the ultimate goal of these two Bodhisattvas were to assist their devotees’ rebirth in Amida’s Pure Land. Thus it is not difficult to understand why the Jizō cult was so closely related to the Lotus Sutra, why it was so widely accepted by the Japanese, and why statues of Jizō and Kannon often flank Amida Buddha. That Jizō would protect reciters of the Lotus Sutra and function similarly to Kannon is an idea continually appearing in later setsuwa (説話, a Japanese literary genre, consisting of myths, legends, folktales, and anecdotes) collections, particularly from the Kamakura period.

Another detail that ties the two Bodhisattva together is found in the Shijū Hyaku Innenshū (私聚百因縁集) that specifically mentions a sutra called the Renge Sanmaikyō (蓮華三眛経) which states that Kannon had entrusted all sentient beings in the Six Realms to Jizō and that this Bodhisattva consequently had six different names, one for each of the Six Realms where he appears, remains, and saves sentient beings. It shows their cooperation to aid all sentient beings.

The same cooperation can be found in Mizuko rites (水子供養, a Japanese Buddhist ceremony for those who have had a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion). While Bodhisattva Jizō, a saviour figure devoted to children, has been the dominant figure in these rites, Kannon has also been given a prominent place in a number of temples devoted to this practice, given the long history of identification of Kannon with the needs of mothers and children-both to care for spirits in the ‘other world’ and to comfort those in the world of the living who oftentimes are struggling with personal remorse, regret, and guilt.

Whether Akutami Gege had such shared attributes of compassion, salvation and protection of the two Bodhisattva in mind when creating the hand symbols for Megumi and Yuuji’s domains, we cannot know, but it is still significant to find that characters as closely intertwined as Yuuji and Megumi throughout the storyline have elements drawn from the figures who could be considered as closely intertwined despite their distinct individual roles.

Danmei Recs (more plot / character driven)

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know - Cyan Wings

NovelUpdates [link] My review [link]

Every Day the Protagonist Wants to Capture Me - Qing Duan

NovelUpdates [link] My review [link]

His Little Deer Wife is Very Fierce - Little Baldy

NovelUpdates [link]

How to Survive As a Villain - Yi Yi Yi Yi

NovelUpdates [link]

Silent Reading - Priest

NovelUpdates [link] My review [link]

The General’s Vampire Omega - Little Baldy

NovelUpdates [link]

The Last Dragon in the Cultivation World - Marshmallow Bunny

NovelUpdates [link]

The Virtuous Omega Disguised as the Vicious Colonel - Little Baldy

NovelUpdates [link] My review [link]

Where is Our Agreement to be Each Other’s Arch-Rivals? - Poplar Breeze

NovelUpdates [link]

Non-Human Sub-district Office - Drunk Long Song

NovelUpdates [link]

Peerless Immortal Surrounded by Demonic Disciples - Dao Xuan

NovelUpdates [link]

Record of the Missing Sect Master - A Lifetime Of Beautiful Clothes

NovelUpdates [link]

The Whole World Is My Crematorium - 比卡比

NovelUpdates [link]

They All Say I’ve Met a Ghost - Cyan Wings

NovelUpdates [link]

A Real Man Isn’t Afraid of a Little Demon - Little Baldy

NovelUpdates [link]

My Junior Still Hasn’t Killed Me - Zi Lu

NovelUpdates [link]

Something's Not Right - Cyan Wings

NovelUpdates [link]

Today Prime Minister Also Wants to Bang His Head on the Pillar - Bazaodashe

NovelUpdates [link]

It’s Not Easy Being a Master - Jin Xi Gu Nian

NovelUpdates [link]

The Omega Can’t Pretend to Be a Beta After Accidentally Witnessing the Major General’s Susceptible Period - Fei Tang

NovelUpdates [link]

Worship Me, I Can Make You Rich - 向远飞

NovelUpdates [link]

The General Loves to Collect Little Red Flowers - Kun Cheng Xiong Mao

NovelUpdates [link]

More Danmei Recs (lighter reading / more fluff)

A Guide to Raising Your Natural Enemy - Jue Jue

NovelUpdates [link]

Transmigrated As a Villain, I Rely on Sand Sculpture to Survive - Ma Hu Zi Jun

NovelUpdates [link]

Carrying a Hoe to Cultivate - Little Baldy

NovelUpdates [link] My Review [link]

The Disabled Tyrant’s Pet Palm Fish - Xue Shan Fei Hu

NovelUpdates [link] My review [link]

After Being Turned Into a Dog, I Conned My Way Into Freeloading at My Rival’s Place - Zi Jin

NovelUpdates [link]

Number One Lazy Merchant of the Beast World - Shuishan

NovelUpdates [link]

Transmigrated as the Villain’s Cat - Xishan Fish

NovelUpdates [link]

Do You Want to Touch My Fish Tail? - 系辭上

NovelUpdates [link]

Live Broadcasting Raising Dragons in the Interstellar - Yu Zhi Shui

NovelUpdates [link]

My Vampire Faints at Blood - Three Thousand Big Dreams To Narrate One's Life

NovelUpdates [link]

The Film Emperor’s Daily Live Cooking Broadcast - 砚楚

NovelUpdates [link]

((this post will be updated as I continue reading and if I write any reviews about specific series I'll link them here too))

182 notes View Post

iwannaread13

8 months ago

TCF Prompt 10

AU. No KRS, Main OG Cale

Harris Village, a small place located near a dangerous, forbidden location. A place Cale Henituse despised with his very being. Because, like his mother, he knew the truth. Those people were not as innocent as they portrayed. They were not as kind as Choi Han believed, playing him like a fiddle. After all, they were after people like Choi Han, beings who cross time and space: transmigrators, and people like himself who regress. A organization known as Hunters. A villainous group even more older, annoying and more powerful than the White Star. While it was a help they took that bastard down, they also slew Choi Han and himself immediately after(causing even more chaos).

With things really not ending up well afterwards, the damned GoD sent him back to when he was 18, waking up in agony and finding the Molan's gone. What a pain.

But this time, he doesn't seem to be alone. This time he has his hyungs and noona with him(were they this...protective before?). Gains some very talkative ancient powers, saves some adorable bratty kids he would die for, and unknowingly creates a family along the way.

And after giving up so damn much the first time around, and seemingly having to do it again, when all was said and done he was going to go off and just slack. Rest somewhere away from everyone with the kids…maybe even have a garden? Or perhaps a farm...

It's just his luck that his mothers family decides to come out of the woodworks this time around. They look torn between wanting to throttle him and smother him in hugs. Weirdos.

Wait, Noona, why are you laughing? What do you mean I fit right in!? - Cale

----------

The Village did cause the carriage accident, though only Cale was able to figure it out due to his mothers journal(amongst other evidence, which was too late to bring to his father. As the man didn't see him anymore).

Eric, Gilbert and Amiru all have a huge part to play and are way more active, and more powerful/strong in their own right.

Cale ends up going to the capital instead of Basen. It becomes a shitshow, thanks to Choi Han intervening with him, but at least they stop most of the bombs.

Hans is also more involved. Slowly becoming more and more loyal and protective of his young master.

Protective!bamf Thames family(they are not very impressed with how Deruth has treated Jour's son either). They also know Cale regressed and are horrified. Which is why they came out of hiding.

Protective!dragons(Eruhaben, etc.) and allies.

Cale's plate is very thin, caused by his regression. He's a bit annoyed, the coughing up blood thing is getting old.

Cale's trash act is found out to be just that. Everyone's upset he would hurt himself in such a way. Especially Basen and Lily.

It's also found out that some of the staff and relatives tormented and lied about Cale without even Ron knowing. Beacrox is furious to find out they also tainted Cale's food(some of which HE had made himself). No wonder Cale stopped calling him Hyung and had those "tantrums"…

The Molans have a lot of regrets towards Cale, but they make up for it.

White star is eventually dealt with, in such a surprising ease that Cale may or may not be a bit slightly annoyed at the fact.

Choi Han and his gang eventually become allies, but it will be a while yet.

Choi Han also finds out about the Hunters and is devastated to learn the truth of Harris Village. He also gets some much needed therapy for being alone for so long(along with the culture shock, etc.), thank you Eruhaben.

Cale gives him some cookies, as that damn fatherly dragon dragged him off for a similar reason as well. Then Ron gives them lemonade...urk.

Alberu also joins the older siblings train, though he feels like he's the only "sane" one(he says being a dark elf while wielding Taerang, a gift from the sun god, after dealing with Adin and his tower).

Cale, Cage and Bud are drinking buddies and get into shenanigans.

Cale gives his AP's grey hairs(if they could have them), Super Rock just wants to trap him in a rock and protect him there. He regrets constantly saying "are you trying to sacrifice yourself". It gave his wielder ideas...

The greatest enemy is the Hunters who are slowly taken care of.

173 notes View Post

iwannaread13

2 months ago

I’ve been very busy with school, but no matter how busy I am, I will always have time for my bedtime stories (danmei novels). Lately, I’ve been reading this very good Palace Intrigue novel.

And hear this, I’m not that fond of palace intrigue. Not that I hate it… it’s just not a genre I’d first look at when I’m looking for something to read. Palace Intrigue tend to be either too complicated and serious with the mysteries and scheming, completely neglecting the romance aspect (the reason why I even read danmei and not no CP works), OR they are just not serious and complicated enough and everything seems like fun and games.

Palace Intrigue needs to be at a very specific sweet spot for me to enjoy it. This is why although I’ve read many such novels under the genre, the ones I really like and can even remember the title of are just two—Si Tian Guan and I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country (though I have not yet finished both because of certain reasons)

But now, I can finally add a third one to that list: 可是他长得美啊 (lit. But He Looks Beautiful Ah)

The romance and the intrigue aspects are perfectly balanced, and I guess it has a lot to do with how the romance itself is also full of intrigue—and not a political or a love-hate type of intrigue, but simply… on what it’s really like to love someone.

The novel realistically explores what it’s like to love someone whose morals and principles you may not always agree with.

I initially thought the novel was going to have a typical Yandere Top x Submissive Bottom kind of pairing… But it doesn’t. Instead, it challenges this Yandere Top archetype and shows how it won’t work at all in a real loving relationship, and it does this without being puritan over it.

The protagonist Jingzhe would stop the male lead Rong Jiu from doing extreme acts, but at the same time he tries to understand why the latter would do such a thing. He doesn’t try to “heal” Rong Jiu, but instead he coaxes him to a middle point that they agree on. They argue a lot over this, but that just shows how much they care for each other.

There were instances where Rong Jiu tried to force Jingzhe to the dark side, but Jingzhe never once gave in. Then, slowly, little by little, Rong Jiu learns to restrain himself and understand what Jingzhe values, while Jingzhe also understands Rong Jiu and makes him feel more secure in their relationship.

Instead of either getting converted to the other’s side, they learn to meet each other in the middle.

And I like that.

11 notes View Post

iwannaread13

6 months ago

Let's talk about fight scenes.

Writing fight scenes requires a delicate balance of action, emotion, and detail to keep readers engaged and immersed in the moment.

Here are some tips to craft compelling fight scenes:

Know your characters: Understand their fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses—are they offensive, or defensive? Spontaneous, or strategic? Trigger-happy, or reluctant? Their personalities and motivations will influence their actions and decisions during the fight.

Create tension: Build tension leading up to the fight to increase the stakes and make the action more gripping. Foreshadowing, verbal sparring, or physical intimidation can all contribute to a sense of anticipation.

Use sensory details: Engage the reader's senses by describing the sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations of the fight. This helps to create a vivid and immersive experience—but make sure not to overdo it. Too much detail can distract from the adrenaline of the fight.

Maintain clarity: Ensure that the action is easy to follow by using clear and concise language. Avoid overly complicated sentences or excessive description that could confuse readers.

Focus on emotions: Show the emotional impact of the fight on your characters. Describe their fear, anger, determination, or adrenaline rush to make the scene more compelling and relatable.

Include strategic elements: Incorporate tactics, strategy, and improvisation into the fight to make it more dynamic and realistic. Think about how your characters use their surroundings, weapons, or special abilities to gain an advantage.

Balance dialogue and action: Intersperse dialogue with action to break up the fight scene and provide insight into the characters' thoughts and intentions. Dialogue can also reveal or support the characters' personalities and motivations.

Keep it concise: While it's important to provide enough detail to immerse readers in the action, avoid unnecessary padding or overly long fight scenes. Keep the pacing brisk to maintain momentum and keep readers hooked.

Show the consequences: Illustrate the aftermath of the fight, including injuries, emotional trauma, or changes in relationships between characters. This adds depth to the scene and helps to drive the story forward.

Hope this helped ❤

Previous | Next

4K notes View Post

iwannaread13

6 months ago

Radioactive Hero (but not really) au

Danny moves to Gotham, hear him out! There's really good jobs there that pay through the nose and the cost of living is cheap!

Plus, the city is riddled with heroes and vilains! It's so easy to slip under the radar!

Unfortunately, there are so many civilian casualties. Like, all the time. Even in Metropolis!

So Danny, for his first year in Gotham, opens small portals to the Far Frozen and gets schooled on being a field medic. None of his powers can really be used for healing, but they can make people feel better. He just has to be careful to be as far removed from the Phantom moniker as possible, so he can't use any obvious powers.

He gets a bit of a reputation in Gotham; a small time hero of the people, for the people. A hero not invested in fighting, but in dragging civilians away from the danger. He doesn't even have a moniker; people are too busy arguing over the best one for him.

So while aliens are attacking both Metropolis and Gotham, Danny is out in full kit; a gas mask to hide his face, all black, repurposed kevlar from the vests the GCPD did not properly dispose of, no identifying markers.

But one of the clean up crews notices something insanely worrying; the geiger counter they have to point at alien spaceship parts? Yeah. Yeah, it's going off when they point it at the new small-time hero.

That hero's power is radioactivity. Holy shit. It's not at a level that will hurt people, but when he's dodging through fighting the level goes up.

The clean up crew concludes and shares via Twitter that the medic-hero is only a danger to others if he gets too stressed.

Word spreads fast, and pretty soon the absolute second Danny shows up on a scene, all fighting stops.

After all, no one wants to piss off the living Nuclear Bomb.

Basically, Danny's ghost-everything sets off Geiger counters, and now absolutely everyone is convinced that the medic-themed hero only refuses to fight because his meta power is just...being radioactive.

But he isn't.

So now, because it's the perfect cover and completely disassociated from Phantom, he has to play along and pretend like yes; that is his power.

8K notes View Post

iwannaread13

7 months ago

Where to post?

Does anyone have a list of places to post webnovels for free? I really want to post mine but don't really know where. I'm open to different websites but I don't want an exclusivity contracts. Any answers are appreciated.

There's an up-and-coming Tech Giant, called Fenton Works, and Batman is determined to prove that the company is a front for a villain.

Danny, after his parents turned from Ghost hunting to being the first official Ghost Anthropologists, decided to repurpose some of their weapons.

And, well, there was a contest being run by Wayne Enterprises; whoever can design a robot that will help the environment got prize money and a grant.

Danny, in all his mechanical engineering prowess, was bored. So he designed a thing. Repurposed the Fenton Guns into a cute robotic tortoise that would clean the beach.

It spiraled from there, and now Fenton Works is the leading name in green technology that's cleaning up the Earth bit by bit. Sea Dragon robots that clean oil and trash from the ocean; beach tortoises that clean the sand and beach and deposit their hoard of trash into designated receptacles that Danny uses as material to make more robots; Cryptid "stalker" robots with long legs that delicately patrol forests to perform "fuel management" and clear out the underbrush to help manage wildfires; moving gargoyle robots that sit on top of skyscrapers to help clean the air with huge sail-like wings, etc.

Basically, Danny pulls a Doctor Elisabet Sobeck, but with less world ending and more actually helping. (Not that the world ending was Elisabet's fault, of course, but different franchise)

And due to the number of times aliens try to attack and rogues send their own robots to attack people, naturally Danny installed self-defense protocols, along with one single golden rule written into the very OS of every single robot; Save Humans Whatever the Cost.

Problem is, Batman has never seen robots like this not be used for evil purposes, and he knows that their power source (a closely guarded Fenton Works secret) is some sort of liquid that glows green.

He really only knows of one liquid that glows green.

So he's determined to find everything he can about Fenton Works, because there's no way that Daniel Fenton isn't actually a villain in the making.

Danny's just thrilled for the chance to work with Wayne Enterprises.

16K notes View Post