01/10/2023
Hunting for the Red Spider Lily or Manjushage 「曼珠沙華」is, much as its counter parts cherry blossom and maple leave hunting, a celebrated spectacle for couples, families, elderly and all other seasonal plant enthusiasts in Japan. These bizarrely shaped red flowers mark the beginning of autumn, earning them the additional title Equinox-Flower. Like violently shed blood rising from underneath, they often grow close to graveyards and tombs. Since the autumn eqinox, o-higan, is a national holiday in Japan, she is also known as Higanbana 「彼岸花」(literally flower of higan). In fact, higan translates as the "distant shore". The cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra) is believed to be "this shore". In most schools of Buddhism, crossing to the other shore, where the red flowers bloom to guide the way of the soul, is used to refer to the attainment of nirvana. Thus o-higan is a day to visit graves and to pray for the well-being of departed souls.
Another peculiarity of the flower is that the blossoms and the leaves never meet. The blossoms unfold on the end of a long shaft sticking out straight from the ground. Once the blossoms wilt away and the shaft rots, the leaves turn up. So, there is no way to see the plant as a "complete set" - one part will always be missing. This has led to the flower being considered a symbol of separation, of lovers that shall never meet.
Yet whatever sad thoughts the higanbana seems to invoke among some people, first and foremost they are truly beautiful. Don't miss the season, travel out of the city to enjoy them. But make sure to leave them there. As an old legend has it, if you bring a higanbana into your house, your house will catch fire...
The title of issue 02 [SPIDER LILY ARC] carries this ancient lore to you. Throughout the contributions, one can find subtle hints in its direction, yet, as leaves and blossoms of the Higanbana, they stay seperated.
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