Past-life In Japan

A story about a man who kept running away.

I was raised in a small town on the slopes of a giant volcano. I was very distantly related to the family of the emperor, and this would have one major impact on my life. My uncle (whom I detested) was a member of the emperor’s court. He showed up one day when I was about nine or ten years old at my family’s house. He had news that would change my life. My uncle had volunteered me for a very important mission. He said that because of my blood connection to him, and his connection to the emperor, he was able to secure this fortuitous opportunity for me.

At that time there was only one religion in Japan and that was Shintoism. The emperor was having problems with the Shinto leaders, though, and had come up with a ‘brilliant’ plan to lessen those leaders’ influence over his government. He intended to import a new religion into the country, so that Shintoism’s total dominance would be diminished. His plan called for sending a select group of young boys to China to study Buddhism, and then bring them back to teach it to the natives. Thanks to my uncle, I was one of those boys selected.

For me as a young boy, I was not upset that my future was being decided for me. I did not know any better. I was excited, though, to be traveling to a distant land.