What is Enma?
{{intro-tooshort|date=December 2023}} '''Enma''' is the god of hell in [[Buddhism]]. He is the god who judges whether the souls of people go to [[heaven]] or [[hell]]. [[File:Kawanabe Kyosai EnmaToJigokudayu-zu.jpg|thumb|right|Enma looking at a woman]] ==History== Enma is the god of hell who judges right and wrong after a human dies and falls into hell. Enma gives many kinds of dreadful punishments. The word ''Enma'' comes from ''Yama'' in [[Sanskrit]] and Pali,{{fact|date=December 2023}} a language for Buddhist writings in [[Sri Lanka]], [[Myanmar]] and [[Thailand]]. He is said to be a human ancestor in the ''[[Rigveda]]'' (an ancient Indian sacred book). He is a god of the Indian Veda myth, and he is said to be the [[incarnation]] of the ''Jizo Bosatsu'', the stone statue which is the god of help in Japanese Buddhism. Believers in Buddhism think Enma comes from the start of the world. He was linked with death at first. People thought he was king of paradise for the dead, the god who ruled people when they lived in heaven. People thought he tied up the souls of the people with the rope that he held in the hand. He became a feared god. Then he was treated as just the god of death. Because he is also an incarnation of the god of help, it is said that he can come and go freely between heaven and hell. ==Appearance== The appearance of Enma is usually frightening in nature. Enma is always shown wearing Chinese traditional clothes from the [[Song dynasty|Song]] era (AD 960–1279). Why he wears Chinese traditional clothes is unknown. Usually, his dress and face are both red. He has a square crown on his head and a mace in his right hand. His eyes are open wide and angry, and are slanted upwards. However, in other countries and at different times in history, Enma is pictured differently. For example, in old pictures from India, Enma has a crown and is riding a [[water buffalo]]. He has a club and a big rope. Another Enma from ancient India has a flag and steps on water buffalo with one leg. Enma is well-built, w