Shari

舎利 The Sacred Relic

1 Source and/or Related Material

“Tanigadō Goes Up in Flames,” Taiheiki book 8, etc

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A travelling monk (waki) coming from Mionoseki in Izumo Province (Shimane) comes to Sennyūji in the capital. This temple houses the sixteen Arhats, holy beings that protect the Buddhist teachings, and relics of the historical Gautama Buddha. A temple servant (ai) shows the monk where he can worship the relics, and the monk is moved to tears. A villager (maeshite) appears and tells how Buddhism spread to Japan from India, where the Buddha gave many sermons on Holy Eagle Peak. Suddenly, clouds cover the sky and lightning flashes. The villager transforms into a fleet-footed, man-eating demon called a rākshasa. The demon tells how he usually comes here to steal relics, and this time he is here to take a tooth. He kicks the ceiling open and disappears. Hearing the situation, the temple servant tells the monk about the rākshasa, and the two of them begin praying, until the God Skanda (nochitsure), protector of Sennyūji, appears. Skanda chases down the demon (nochishite) and retrieves the lost Buddha tooth. Exhausted, the demon disappears.