Hakushin
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Hakushin is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha.
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[edit] Backstory
Hakushin was once a great monk that helped people during a great famine, but he eventually became sick. While he was dying, the people he had helped buried him alive in order for him to become a living Buddha on an Island called Hijiri. After being buried, he would constantly ring a bell (a cut piece of bamboo was placed in his grave so the villagers could hear) and when the villagers no longer heard the bell, they would know that he had died. He listened to the people's prayers and heard they were praying for his death. He felt attachment to life, and was ashamed that he was unable to achieve Buddha-hood.
Naraku used Hakushin by convincing him that he hated the people that buried him, which he did not. He then revives Hakushin, who becomes a living mummy. He then agrees to help Naraku by erecting a barrier around Mount Hakurei.
Hakushin's holy barrier around Mount Hakurei is so powerful that it purifies every creature that has supernatural or demonic power or evil thought: InuYasha turns into his human form inside the barrier, Miroku is unable to grope Sango's rear since the barrier purifies his perverted thoughts, Sesshomaru's speed decreases while he is inside the barrier, Kikyo is greatly weakened and is almost unable to move while inside the barrier, and the members of the Band of Seven also are somewhat weakened (Jakotsu openly states he can't fight Sesshomaru at full power). InuYasha knew very little about who or what was causing the barrier until a boy name Shintarou told them about the story of Hakushin.
Miroku and Sango eventually meet Hakushin after investigating the Mountain from top to bottom after fighting Kagura. They were originally looking for Naraku and attempted to convince Hakushin to drop the barrier, to no avail. A short battle erupts in which Miroku's Kazaana (wind tunnel) successfully dislodges the great monk, the only thing Hakushin could do was attempt to repel it using his barrier.
After Miroku is forced to close his wind tunnel by the arrival of saimyosho, Hakushin escapes by floating to the foot of Mount Hakurei. There, Hakushin meets Kikyo, who tries again to persuade him to drop the holy barrier and leave this world to find peace. She is successful; Hakushin disappears shortly after that discussion, releasing the barrier as he finally could die.
[edit] Powers
Large Barrier: Able to cover all of Hakurei-Zan. It purifies any demons that touch it or even come close to it. It is able to weaken Humans while inside and demons from afar. Humans recover from wounds very quickly while inside the barrier, but cannot revive when killed. Demons are unable to exit the barrier.
Small Barrier: A small barrier meant to simply protect Hakushin himself. It may be erected while the Large Barrier is still erected.
Teleportation: Hakushin is able to travel as far as the base of Hakurei-Zan using teleportation as displayed in his battle with Miroku.
[edit] Hakushin's Ornament
As Naraku persuaded Hakushin to leave Hijiri to go to Hakurei-Zan, he left an ornament, called a vajra ("dokko" in volume 26 of the manga), that creates a protective barrier around Hijiri. It is able to greatly weaken demons and humans of evil thought. It is also able to prevent InuYasha from using the wind scar or any demonic power for that matter. Hakushin made flowers sprout on the island in order to hide the vajra and added a barrier the size of the ornament to prevent the object from being touched if it were to be found.
The vajra was found by Miroku when he used his sutras. Miroku broke the small barrier using his own spiritual power along with the aid of Shintaro; Hakushin had left it on the island to make it possible for Bankotsu to kill InuYasha.
During the battle with Bankotsu, the vajra floated and hit InuYasha's Tetsusaiga returning it to its basic form. It also purified the wounds and damage done by Bankotsu's lightning attack. After that occurs, it teleported Bankotsu to the top of Hakurei-Zan where he saw Hakushin's Mummy for the first time, accompanied by Kohaku and Kanna.
[edit] Appearance
Hakushin resembles a brown unbandaged mummy in the shape of an old man. He has many small wrinkles on him and wears very elaborate, rich robes.
[edit] Trivia
Monk Hakushin's life resembles a real Japanese mummy by the name of Tetsumonkai.
Egypt is not the only country with mummies. In ancient Japan, Buddhist priests actually began the mummification process while still living. They would begin by going on a strict diet and losing massive amounts of weight, slowly starving themselves to death. During this time they would meditate surrounded by candles. The heat from the candles was to dry out their bodies. The final step was being enclosed in an underground tomb for the final drying process. Sometimes this part was done after death, and others were entombed here while still living, essentially being buried alive. The room was only large enough to allow them to sit in the lotus position and ring a bell connected to the outside so their followers would know if they were still living or not. There was a tube that allowed air into the underground tomb. This was the case with Hakushin, when he succumbed to his inner temptations and was eventually lead astray by Naraku.
[edit] See also
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