"The Spider’s Thread" Ryunosuke Akutagawa

One day, the Buddha was leisurely strolling alone along the edge of a lotus pond in paradise. The lotus flowers blooming in the pond were all pure white, like pearls, and from the golden stamens at their centers, an indescribably pleasant fragrance continually wafted through the air. It must have been morning in paradise.

After some time, the Buddha paused at the edge of the pond and, gazing through the gaps between the lotus leaves that covered the water’s surface, looked down at the scene below. The bottom of this lotus pond in paradise corresponded directly to the depths of hell, so through the crystal-clear water, the scenery of the River of Three Crossings and the Mountain of Needles was as clearly visible as if seen through a spyglass.

It was then that the Buddha noticed a man named Kandata, writhing in the depths of hell along with other sinners. This Kandata was a notorious thief who had committed various heinous crimes, including murder and arson. However, he had done one good deed that he could remember. On one occasion, while passing through a dense forest, he noticed a small spider crawling along the roadside. Kandata immediately raised his foot to crush it, but then suddenly reconsidered, thinking, “No, no, even a tiny creature like this surely has a life of its own. To take that life without reason would be too cruel.” With this thought, he decided not to kill the spider and let it go.

As the Buddha observed the scene in hell, he recalled Kandata’s act of sparing the spider’s life. Moved by this single act of kindness, the Buddha thought that if it were possible, he would try to save this man from hell. Fortunately, when he looked to the side, he saw a spider of paradise spinning a beautiful silver thread on a jade-colored lotus leaf. The Buddha gently took the spider’s thread in his hand and lowered it straight down through the pure white lotuses, all the way to the depths of hell.

In the depths of hell, Kandata found himself floating and sinking in a pool of blood, alongside other sinners. No matter where he looked, all he could see was darkness. Occasionally, a faint light would glimmer in the distance, revealing the terrifying needles of the Mountain of Needles, casting a chilling glow. The atmosphere was so oppressive that it would make anyone feel utterly desolate. The surroundings were as silent as a grave, with only the faint sighs of the damned breaking the stillness. Those who had fallen this deep into hell had already endured countless torments and were too exhausted to even cry out. Even the once fearsome thief, Kandata, could do nothing but flail helplessly in the blood, choking as if he were a dying frog.

One day, however, something extraordinary happened. As Kandata raised his head to gaze up at the sky above the pool of blood, he noticed a single, silver spider’s thread descending from the distant heavens. It shimmered faintly in the darkness, as though afraid of being seen, and gently made its way down towards him. Kandata’s heart leapt with joy at the sight of it. If he could just grab hold of that thread and climb up, he might be able to escape from hell altogether. Perhaps, if he were lucky, he might even reach paradise. If that were to happen, he would no longer have to endure the torment of being driven up the Mountain of Needles or submerged in the pool of blood.

With these thoughts racing through his mind, Kandata immediately seized the spider’s thread with both hands and began to climb with all his might. Being a seasoned thief, he was no stranger to such endeavors and knew how to make the most of his opportunity.

However, the distance between hell and paradise spanned countless miles, and despite his eagerness, he could not easily reach the top. After climbing for some time, Kandata grew weary and could no longer pull himself up. Exhausted, he had no choice but to stop and rest. He clung to the thread, dangling halfway up, and looked down at the scene far below.

Thanks to his desperate climbing, Kandata soon found that the pool of blood, where he had been just moments ago, had disappeared into the darkness below. Even the terrifying Mountain of Needles, which had loomed ominously, was now beneath his feet. If he could continue at this pace, escaping from hell might not be as impossible as he had thought. Gripping the spider’s thread tightly, Kandata let out a laugh—something he hadn’t done in years—“I’ve done it! I’ve really done it!”

However, just then, Kandata noticed something alarming. Looking down, he saw countless other sinners following in his wake, climbing up the thread like a line of ants. Startled and terrified, he could only gape in disbelief, his mouth agape, his eyes darting wildly. The thread, already delicate enough to barely support Kandata alone, would surely snap under the weight of so many. If it were to break, not only would all the others fall back into hell, but so would he—right back to where he started. Such a thought filled him with dread. Meanwhile, more and more sinners, hundreds, even thousands of them, were swarming up from the dark depths of the pool of blood, clinging to the faintly glowing thread as they climbed upwards.

If he didn’t act quickly, the thread was bound to snap under the strain.

In a panic, Kandata shouted, “Hey, you wretches! This thread is mine! Who gave you permission to climb up? Get off! Get off, I say!”

At that very moment, the spider’s thread, which had held firm until now, suddenly snapped with a sharp “twang” right where Kandata was hanging. Before he could even react, Kandata was sent plummeting, spinning like a top, through the darkness, hurtling back down towards the abyss from which he had tried so hard to escape.

The only thing left was the short length of the spider’s thread, glistening faintly as it hung in the sky, neither the moon nor the stars visible in the empty heavens.

The Buddha had been standing at the edge of the lotus pond in paradise, watching the entire event unfold. When Kandata plunged like a stone into the pool of blood below, the Buddha’s face took on a sorrowful expression. He then resumed his slow, contemplative walk. From the Buddha’s perspective, Kandata’s selfishness, his desire to escape hell alone, had been the very reason for his downfall, and this punishment seemed fitting.

Yet the lotuses in the pond of paradise paid no heed to such events. Their pure white flowers swayed gently around the Buddha’s feet, and from the golden stamens at their centers, an indescribably pleasant fragrance continued to fill the air, just as it always had. It must have been nearing noon in paradise.

Youtube (audio book) : https://youtu.be/cMaNGMAzk64