So here we have the moral authority saying that you can't half ass being half assed and that there is a correct way to live half heartedly. The worst part is that in universe this would be considered good advice for the right reasons, but if i were banki i'd feel offended at Eiki sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Trying not to be a part of anything means living your life not having to care about what anyone thinks of you. And that's the whole point that seems to be missed here, by both of them.
So here we have the moral authority saying that you can't half ass being half assed and that there is a correct way to live half heartedly. The worst part is that in universe this would be considered good advice for the right reasons, but if i were banki i'd feel offended at Eiki sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Trying not to be a part of anything means living your life not having to care about what anyone thinks of you. And that's the whole point that seems to be missed here, by both of them.
I think what Eiki means is that instead of being neither human nor youkai, Banki should live as a human while also fulfilling her duty as a youkai. Be both instead of neither.
It's also established in canon that Eiki doesn't lecture people just to be annoying; it's literally her ability and her job to know who's going to Hell, as a fact, not even her own opinion. However, she's originally a Jizo statue, and the Jizo's purpose is to save people from damnation. That's why she goes around lecturing people while she still can: after they die, she has no choice but to do her duty and send them to Hell.
I mean, I guess everyone still has the right to go to Hell if they insist, but I don't think Eiki's exactly being mean by warning them.
I mean, I guess everyone still has the right to go to Hell if they insist, but I don't think Eiki's exactly being mean by warning them.
Yup, and that's the problem right there, hence i said giving good advice for the right reasons. The idea that there's an afterlife and that there is someone who can say with absolute certainty where you will end up is as convenient as it is terrifying. And that said person is trying to help those fix their lives while they can is truly noble indeed.
The problem i have with it is that the criteria for what causes a being to fall into hell seems relative to the species of being rather than the being itself. A youkai not doing youkai-like things would be a good thing seen from a human standard, considering that youkai like things are pretty much parallel to human sins. Which makes the idea of encouraging a youkai to commit evil deeds because otherwise said youkai would fall into hell, while simoultaniously encouraging it to keep up it's human lifestyle so strange. Seeing as for the lifestyle she is pursueing, that would be sinning, thus a ticket to hell.
So to get back to my point, i'm fed up with the implications of helping a youkai avoid hell while simoultaniously saying there's nothing wrong with pretending to be human for whom a whole other set of rules apply. Both the fact that Eiki is genuinly doing a good thing here, and that Banki goes along with it without seeing the problem doesn't sit right with me.
Yup, and that's the problem right there, hence i said giving good advice for the right reasons. The idea that there's an afterlife and that there is someone who can say with absolute certainty where you will end up is as convenient as it is terrifying. And that said person is trying to help those fix their lives while they can is truly noble indeed.
The problem i have with it is that the criteria for what causes a being to fall into hell seems relative to the species of being rather than the being itself. A youkai not doing youkai-like things would be a good thing seen from a human standard, considering that youkai like things are pretty much parallel to human sins. Which makes the idea of encouraging a youkai to commit evil deeds because otherwise said youkai would fall into hell, while simoultaniously encouraging it to keep up it's human lifestyle so strange. Seeing as for the lifestyle she is pursueing, that would be sinning, thus a ticket to hell.
So to get back to my point, i'm fed up with the implications of helping a youkai avoid hell while simoultaniously saying there's nothing wrong with pretending to be human for whom a whole other set of rules apply. Both the fact that Eiki is genuinly doing a good thing here, and that Banki goes along with it without seeing the problem doesn't sit right with me.
What you are missing is that youkai dont have to be necessarily evil or eat humans. As far as I know, rokurokubi are just people with weird necks. Thats it. I believe what Shiki meant is that Sekibanki can live with humans but she has to accept herself as a youkai or something along those lines. And about Banki not getting mad at the annoying lectures, this part is purely conjecture but if she is as neutral as this story implies, she just takes other peoples words and really considers it without getting offended, as stupid as the opinion is. I can relate to that. Another thing is that in Buddhism the concept of hell and what leads you there is very different than what we are used to (assuming you are a westerner as well), but unfortunately Im not knowledged in it enough to give examples but I sure want to look that up know.
TL;DR Shiki: Just be yourself, lol
Updated
If you want to be gray
please be correctly gray.
...This conversation was a little one-sided.Excuse me.Oh, no, Miss Yama...Thanks... Thanks for speaking with me.Hehe. I should be thanking you. You're the one who told me about this restaurant.I'd like you to "detect" me another good restaurant some other time.