Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 2: Supernatural Babylon
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 1: Impossible Fight to the Death
Chapter 2: The Lieutenant Discusses Divine and Demonic Sorcery
Mr. Haushofer, who displayed an astonishing talent for mastering foreign languages, had nearly perfected his Japanese during the past several months. "Lieutenant Katō, my friend--I must ask you, what is a shikigami? What was that thing that attacked us the other day?" He asked these things with great intensity. He thirsted for knowledge of magic and the occult.
Lieutenant Katō studied the German's face from beneath the military cap pulled low over his eyes and replied with a thin, cold smile.
"A shikigami is a familiar. It is a kind of spirit controlled by a sorcerer. Originally they were enchanted paper dolls, but in popular belief they take on forms like demons or children. When a sorcerer curses a person, it is called striking the shiki.1 The shikigami possesses cloth, paper, birds, toads, dogs, and so on, and is sent to the one who is to be cursed. In Konjaku Monogatari and Uji Shūi Monogatari, the way shikigami work is described in detail—you should try reading them, Mr. Haushofer.
"Spirits similarly controlled by esoteric Buddhist or shugendō practitioners are called gohō.2 Both gohō and shikigami are familiars controlled by sorcerers. The West calls such creatures demons or fairies.
"Abe no Seimei was a master of shikigami use. He founded the Tsuchimikado family as we know it today. In esoteric Buddhism, and later in yin-yang sorcery as well, there is a spell called chōbuku, in which by chanting a sort of curse one conjures a deity that wipes out enemies, causes natural disasters, and summons evil demons. The rebel Taira no Masakado is said to have been subdued and lost his life after he was attacked by shikigami or a gohō."
Mr. Haushofer folded his arms, pondered for a while, then asked his next question. "What is divine and demonic sorcery? I want to know about the magic that protected us on that terrifying day."
Katō studied the other man's face. "It is a dreadful art, one that would be of use to military men like yourself."
"What does that mean?" Mr. Haushofer asked.
"It is difficult to explain divine and demonic sorcery to a foreigner, Karl Haushofer. It is one of the most refined forms of Eastern magic, and it is closely related to the study of astronomy and the heavens.
"You must understand that Eastern astronomy and Western astronomy are different. The East interprets the patterns of the heavens and divines portents of natural upheavals and good or ill fortune. In our country, the Tsuchimikado family has chiefly held the post of Minister of Astronomy since the time of Abe no Seimei. In the past when there were anomalies in the sky, the Minister of Astronomy would report this to the emperor and urge a change of era name or recommend moving the capital.
"Divine and demonic sorcery, then, reads changes in the stars using astronomy, considers the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of such changes, and thus becomes a means to protect the nation. Such omens may be read for individuals, for armies, or for the entirety of Japan. Divine and demonic sorcery is a foundational magical art that determines basic design principles for military affairs, castle building, and city planning.
"According to legend, Prince Shōtoku introduced this art to Japan, but the Nihon Shoki records a different tale. In the reign of Empress Suiko, the Korean monk Gwalleuk came to court and presented books on calendrical methods, astronomy and geography. At that time, Tamafuru--a historian--learned calendrical methods, Ōtomo no Suguri Takasato learned astronomy, and Yamashiro no Omi Hitachi learned sorcerous arts regarding omens. It is also said that Kibi no Makibi, a member of an embassy to Tang China, brought a text about divine and demonic sorcery back to Japan, and used it to strengthen military facilities in Kyūshū. Do you understand what I am saying, Karl Haushofer?"
"I assume these arts originated in China," Mr. Haushofer said. "Who created them there?"
"It seems that Zhuge Liang was the inventor of Qimen Dunjia.3 Let me tell you an anecdote from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Listen, Mr. Haushofer.
"Zhuge Liang was a chancellor who served Emperor Liu Bei during China's Three Kingdoms period. At the age of twenty-seven, Zhuge Liang advocated for a plan to divide the realm into three and became Liu Bei's strategist. His superhuman exploits are still talked about today. Sadly, he was the chancellor of the weakest of the Three Kingdoms. He fell ill and died at Wuzhang Plains while facing Wei's general Sima Yi in battle and never saw his plan come to fruition.
"Many of the tactics he employed were astonishing stratagems, splendid ones that turned the terrain itself into a weapon.
"I shall tell you of when he made use of Qimen Dunjia. This was when Zhuge Liang fought Wu's general Lu Xun. The Wu army pursued Shu's soldiers and pushed into a sandy area called Gyofukuhō.
"General Lu Xun at once sensed an ominous murderous aura ahead, halted the advance, and had a defensive formation set up. He waited several hours, but the eerie clouds blocking the way ahead did not clear, and the murderous aura did not diminish in the slightest.
"Realizing something was wrong, the general sent out several dozen horsemen to scout. The report he received was that there was a place ahead where eighty or ninety huge rocks stood strewn about in rows. There were no Shu soldiers waiting to ambush them.
"Lu Xun cocked his head. Surely the enemy must be hiding in that formation of great rocks. He made up his mind and, together with his closest advisors, headed toward the rocks.
"The murderous aura blocking the way was coming from the rock formation itself. The valiant Lu Xun himself sallied forth into it and found no enemy soldiers whatsoever.
Losing patience, Lu Xun tried to withdraw from the stone formation. It was already evening and growing dark by this time.
The clashing of swords rang out. Ominous clouds welled up, war cries rose, and Lu Xun found himself surrounded on all sides. Of course, no soldiers could be seen, yet the murderous aura and the sounds of swordplay were unmistakably real.
"Retreat!" the general shouted.
"The horses reared, the soldiers panicked, and on top of that they could not find an exit from the stone labyrinth. They began wandering in circles among the stones like madmen.
"Then an old man appeared before the herd of horses and called out, 'Shall I let you out of here?'
"Lu Xun reached the old man and was led straight out of the stone formation. He had escaped the Gate of Death.
"Having survived by a hair's breadth, Lu Xun thanked the old man and asked why he had saved him.
"The old man said, 'My name is Huang Chengyan. I am Zhuge Liang's father-in-law. Years ago, when Zhuge Liang visited this place, he piled eighty or ninety stones on the sandbar at Fishbelly Shoal and laid out the Diagram of the Eight Formations. And then he told me, "This art of Quimen Dunjia is meant, before long, to cast a Wu general into a deadly place. Father, when that time comes, do not on any account save the enemy general." That is what he left me with. But I could not simply watch the general fall into such dire straits; I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I had abandoned you to your fate. So I saved you. That is all.'
"The Diagram of the Eight Formations is a stone formation consisting of eight gates: Shadow, New, Death, Life, Forest, Fear, Rest, and Injury. If you are caught in the Gate of Death, you die; if you fall into the Gate of Injury, you are wounded. In other words, it is an inescapable maze."
"So that is what divine and demonic sorcery means?" Mr. Haushofer asked. "In our country, there is a field of study called Geopolitik. It closely resembles divine and demonic sorcery, I think."
"Oh? And what is Geopolitik?"
"In order to strengthen my homeland, I had believed Geopolitik to be the most important wisdom. Now that I have learned of divine and demonic sorcery, that faith has become unshakable."
"Tell me what Geopolitik is, Mr. Haushofer."
"It is the study of how to conduct politics through observation of terrain. In Japanese it would mean 'earth political science.' Chiseigaku--geopolitics?" Mr. Haushofer said speculatively.
"Chiseigaku. Ah—yes, that is the Japanese concept. Very good, Mr. Haushofer."
"According to our Geopolitik, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are very different. Let us speak of the Atlantic first. In terms both of ocean currents and the arrangement of islands, this ocean serves as a barrier that permanently divides peoples and lands. Even if you set sail riding the currents, you will only be carried to the Sea of Death—the Sargasso Sea. As for the Pacific, the currents serve as routes of traffic linking the islands. It is a region where trade routes can be developed.
"The Atlantic nations can only oppose one another across the ocean. But the Pacific nations are united by their ocean. The twentieth century will be Asia's century. Japan will, in time, become the leading nation of the world."
Katō's face showed a faint flicker of displeasure.
"How interesting. The twentieth century will be Asia's century..."
"Friend, I desire you to tell me the secrets of Qimen Dunjia and the secrets of feng shui divination. These Eastern magics will become new references for our Geopolitik."
German army officer Karl Haushofer spent about a year thereafter traveling around various regions to investigate the movements of the Japanese army. At the same time, he came into contact with many Eastern religions beginning with Esoteric Buddhism. He learned the secret arts of Qimen Dunjia and feng shui. In 1910 (Meiji 43), as World War I broke out in Europe, he hurried back to Germany.
The experience of less than two years spent in Japan determined the course Mr. Haushofer's life would take thereafter. He would, in time, become Germany's greatest geopolitician. He devoted himself to the restoration of the German Empire, sunk into defeat and devastation after the end of World War I. Lieutenant Katō Yasunori remained his friend for life.
A mysterious scholar born in Egypt, Rudolf Hess, introduced Karl Haushofer to Adolf Hitler.
1 Shiki is a
Buddhist term in this context; it means "visible form.".↩
2 Shugendō is a 1,500-year-old Japanese
syncretic tradition combining Shinto, esoteric Buddhism, and Daoism,
focusing on mountain asceticism to attain spiritual power. Practitioners,
known as yamabushi ("those who bow to the mountains"), undergo rigorous
training—such as waterfall meditation and mountain hiking—to achieve
enlightenment, often viewed as the "path of training and testing." Gohō
appears to be an abbreviation for the Buddhist term meaning, "benevolent
deities who protect the dharma." ↩
3 Zhuge Liang
(181 AD – September or October 234 AD), courtesy name Kongming, was a
Chinese statesman and strategist who lived through the collapse of the
Eastern Han dynasty and became the principal architect of the Shu Han
state. He served as chancellor under its founding emperor Liu Bei from 221
and as regent to the young emperor Liu Shan after 223 until his death. ↩
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