Yama (Buddhism and Chinese Mythology) - Yama in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Mythology

Yama in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Mythology

In Chinese mythology, Yan (Chinese: : 閻, : 阎, : Yán) is the god of death and the ruler of Diyu. From Vedic Sanskrit Yama Rājā (यम राज, "King Yama"), he is also known as Yanluowang (: 閻羅王, : 阎罗王, : Yánluówáng, : Yen2-lo2-wang2 and (: 閻, : 阎, : Yán ). In both ancient and modern times, Yan is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a judge's cap or a crown which bears the character 王, "king." He typically appears on Chinese hell money in the position reserved for political figures on regular currency.

Yan is not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld and passes judgment on all the dead. He always appears in a male form, and his minions include a judge who holds in his hands a brush and a book listing every soul and the allotted death date for every life. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome guardians of hell, bring the newly dead, one by one, before Yan for judgement. Men or women with merit will be rewarded good future lives or even revival in their previous life. Men or women who committed misdeeds will be sentenced to torture or miserable future lives. In some versions, Yan divides Diyu into eight, ten, or eighteen courts each ruled by a Yama King, such as King Chujiang, who rules the court reserved for thieves and murderers.

The spirits of the dead, on being judged by Yan, are supposed to either pass through a term of enjoyment in a region midway between the earth and the heaven of the gods or to undergo their measure of punishment in the nether world. Neither location is permanent and after a time, they return to Earth in new bodies.

"Yan" was sometimes considered to be a position in the celestial hierarchy, rather than an individual. There were said to be cases in which an honest mortal was rewarded the post of Yan and served as the judge and ruler of the underworld.

These Chinese beliefs subsequently spread to Korea and Japan. In Korea, Yan is known as Yŏmna (염라) and Great King Yŏmna (염라대왕, Yŏmna Daewang). In Japan, he is called Emma (閻魔, prev. "Yemma"), King Emma (閻魔王, Emma-ō), and Great King Emma (閻魔大王, Emma Dai-Ō).