Suggestions and Wisdom of the Yama

I am Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu, responsible for judging the souls of all who die in Gensokyo. I offer advice and sound moral judgements to those who need them, even if they do not realise it. My portrait was drawn by the eminently talented Jun'ya Ota of the Outside World. For technical support and internet culture advice, I have the assistance of Aardvark123, a writer from the Outside World.

[videofame]

[eikishikisuggestions]

Reading is good for you. It isn’t necessary to shun new technology, however; books made of paper aren’t morally superior to Digital Media “just because”. You can learn as much from a factual Web Site as from an encyclopedia, or find as much pleasure in a Fan Fic as in a book-type book fic book.

So to answer your question, Ms Knowledge, it would be wrong to kick Sanae out of your book club because she read “Journey to the West” via the Internet. Please don’t be snobbish about it.

[eikishikisuggestions]

Have you hugged your shinigami today?

[eikishikisuggestions]

Have you hugged your gardener today, Yuyuko?

[eikishikisuggestions]

Have you hugged your shinigami today?

[eikishikisuggestions]

oh dip! you know what time it is

crimbus time

Thank you, dastump. I do not follow Homestuck or Christianity, but the picture is charming and I appreciate the thought.

[eikishikisuggestions]

Good and bad are not things one can “be”, innately; they come from people’s behaviour. Kutaka, for example, wasn’t born a Good Person, but she chooses to be kind and dutiful every day. I wonder what would happen of Komachi did likewise...

[eikishikisuggestions]

Bit of an odd hypothetical, but say one day you woke up in a reality outside of Gensokyo, or anywhere connected to it. Do you think being in a different realm would alter your ability to cast judgment? Say if there was no Ministry of Right and Wrong, or if the judgment process was different in this alternate universe.

No reason in particular as to why I'm asking! I'm just a sucker for crossovers.

That is an interesting question. My sense of right and wrong is instinctive; I know how moral something is without needing to think much about it, and I wouldn't lose that ability by moving to another world. In a universe where justice was somehow different, though, I think I'd be at odds with the "rules".

[eikishikisuggestions]

Something you don’t know or haven’t seen before is a learning experience. Something your friend doesn’t know or hasn’t seen is a sharing experience.

[eikishikisuggestions]

Drinking vast quantities of alcohol may be “fun”, but it’s also seriously harmful. Did you know that just three glasses of sake can reduce your chance of successfully death-bombing by ninety percent, or that eighty-two percent of flight accidents involve at least one drunken participant?  Always stop drinking while you can still see one bottle.

[eikishikisuggestions]

I shouldn’t have to say this, but picking your teeth with a scythe is an extremely bad idea.

[eikishikisuggestions]

It isn’t necessary to sweep outside your shrine for more than five hours a day.

[komachisuggestions]

What does the higan river taste like?

I do not know, nor do I think you should try it

[komachisuggestions]

Get plenty of sleep!

[eikishikisuggestions]

I quite agree. Do you know that most people sleep at night, by the way? When it’s dark, and there’s nothing important they need to do? Just some food for thought.

[cirnosuggestion]

HEY, YOU! YEA, YOU, IM IN A GOOD MOOD SO REPLY TO THIS WITH A THINGS YOU LIKE ABOWT YOURSELF ILL START I AM SO STRONG AND POWERFUL AND HARD WURKING AND ALL THE FAIRIES LOOK UP TO ME AND MY HAIR IS SPARKLY AND IM CUTE AND WEN THE SUN HITS MY WINGS AT THE RIGHT ANGLE IT CREATES A LITTLE RAINBOW, ALSO IM SMART AND STRONG

[eikishikisuggestions]

Things we like about ourselves, you say? Well, I appreciate that I instinctively know the best answer for any moral dilemma. Aside from that, I take pride in my dancing skills and instinct for when Komachi is lying to me, and my ability to fight with grace and impeccable skill.

[cirnosuggestion]

WATS AN UWU AND WHY DO I SEE IT EVRYWEER

[eikishikisuggestions]

It is an “Emoticon” used to parody performative and/or false sweetness and innocence. The “U”s are supposed to be big, soulful closed eyes, and the “W” a cat-like smile.

[eikishikisuggestions]

Quick question, can a youkai form based on accumulated magic in the environment?

Dear illusionexistence,

Yes, quite frequently.

[notanonisuggestions]

So... is it normal to just go by the term of "youkai" if you have absolutely no fucking idea what to classify yourself as? I wound up a dead person revived by bringing the meaning of my spellbook to life, and am now bound to it. I'm not sure if I'm still human, a ghost, one of those tsukumogami, or something else entirely.

Finding a definitive answer to your question can be rather problematic. Consulting either the yama of paradise, or the priestess of the Hakurei shrine is something I would advise you to do.

[eikishikisuggestions]

In my experience, it is a common practice. Many youkai, such as Yuuka and that little girl who says “Is that so?”, just call themselves youkai without any elaboration.