Woman: "Oh? You've come back? That's troubling."
Me: "There's something I want to ask you. Who are you?"
Woman: "Snake God, I protect this land."
Me: "Snake God, what happened to the people imprisoned there?"
Snake God: "Oh, that? Well, that's because they cut down my precious sacred tree. I'm punishing them."
Me: "How long are you going to keep them like that?"
Snake God: "Forever, of course. If I let them go, they might be reborn and come back to cut trees again."
Me: "For that reason? That's troubling."
Snake God: "Have you humans ever forgotten how to pray to the things that protect you? The sacred tree would be gone if there were no one to pray to it. So their strength has become very weak. If I hadn't helped them, they would have been burned by now." Me: "That's terrible! But they have to train again in the next life. Please let them go." Snake God: "I hate it. I hate adults. What do they think of this earth? They've started another war somewhere. What are they doing for? To expand the land? To fight against different religions? To fight against different races? To fight against different colors? How foolish. In their past lives, they may have been people from opposing countries. The guardians of you humans and the gods of the world are trying to protect us, regardless of where we are from." Japan has also decided to go nuclear, hasn't it? If we go ahead with such a thing in Japan, a country prone to earthquakes, the "residual risk" will be too high. Where are we going to throw away the ever-increasing amount of spent nuclear fuel? The earth is not a trash can. Japanese people should not underestimate earthquakes. If we continue like this, something terrible will happen. I say, "Natural disasters and wars come when we forget about them." Even if we experienced them in our previous lives, we forget about them when we are reborn. Humans are insensitive to those who have never experienced them. It will surely start again. No one can stop this cycle now. And one day we will be banned again. And we will start all over again. If you were reborn, I'm sure you would support war. "
Me: "I'm against it. My homeroom teacher is a war veteran. She spoke to us with serious eyes. The horror of war, the sadness of losing loved ones. We heard her heartbreaking cries that we must convey this to children like us who have never experienced war. So we promised to oppose war. So we are against war. Absolutely!"
Snake God: "What are you talking about? You're already dead. When you're reborn, you'll forget everything."
Me: "I'm not dead."
Snake God: "That's so troubling. Don't you realize you're dead?"
Me: "I'm not dead. I got dizzy when I squatted down to pick up some nuts that had fallen, so I crouched down between the trees. So I didn't fall from the tree, and I'm not dead. Absolutely!"
Snake God: "What?... Nuts?... You can't be... You prayed, didn't you?... Sacred tree!!
What are you planning to make this child do!?" To be continued.
「鈴かけの木の夢」第12話 長ーい🙏
女「あらっ？戻って来ちゃったの？困ったわねぇ。」
私「聞きたい事があるの。あなたは誰ですか？」
女「蛇神よ、この地を守護するものよ。」
私「蛇神様、あそこに囚われている人達はどうしたのですか？」
蛇神「ああ、アレ？アレはねぇ、私の大切な神木を切っちゃったからねぇ。お仕置きしてるのよ。」
私「いつまでそうしておくのですか？」
蛇神「ずっとに決まっているわ。放したら生まれ変わって、また木を切りに来るかもしれないからねぇ。」
私「そんな理由で？困ったわ。」
蛇神「そもそもお前達人間は、自分達を守護するものに祈る事を忘れたのかい？神木も、祈る者がいなくなったから、すっかり力が弱くなってしまって。私が助けなかったら今頃
焚き木にでもされていた所だったわ。」 私「それは大変！ でも、あの人達も、また来世で修行をしなくちゃ。どうか放してあげて下さい。」 蛇神「嫌だねぇ。私は大人の人間は嫌いなのさ。この地球を何だと思っているんだろうね。また、何処かで戦争を始めたねぇ。全く何のためにするんだい？国土を広げる？宗教が違う？人種が違う？色だって？全く愚かだねぇ。前世じゃ、争い相手の国の人間だったかもしれないのにねぇ。お前たち人間の守護するもの達も、世界中の神々も、何処の国の者とか関係なく、守ろうとしているのにさ。」
日本も、原発に踏み切っただろう？地震大国の日本でそんな事を進めたら、「残余のリスク」が高すぎるだろう。増え続ける、使用済み核燃料は何処に捨てるんだい？地球はゴミ箱じゃないんだよ。日本人が地震を舐めちゃいけないわ。きっとこのまま続ければ、大変なことになるわ。私曰く、『天災と戦争は忘れた頃にやって来る。』だわ。前世で体験していても、生まれ変わればすっかり忘れてしまう。体験した事のない者に人間は鈍感だからねぇ。きっとまた始まってしまうよ。もうこのサイクルを誰も止められないのさ。そしてまたいつか、バンされる。そして、また、1からやり直しさ。お前も生まれ変わったら、きっと戦争に賛成してしまうだろうねぇ。」
私「私は反対するわ。私の担任の先生は戦争体験者なの。先生が、真剣な目で話してくれたの。戦争の恐ろしさ、大切な人を亡くす悲しさ。私達の様な戦争を知らない子供達に伝えてなくてはという悲痛な叫びを.私達は聞いたの。だから、私達は戦争は反対すると約束したの。だから、戦争は反対。絶対！」
蛇神「お前は何を言っているんだい？お前はもう死んでいる。生まれ変わったら、全部忘れてしまうじゃないか。」 私「死んでないわ。」
蛇神「全く、困ったわねぇ。自分が死んだ事も分からないのかい？」
私「死んでないわ。私はしゃがんで落ちていた木の実を拾った時にめまいがして木の間にうずくまったのよ。だから木から落ちてないし、死んでないわ。絶対！」
蛇神「何だって？…木の実？…まさか…お前……祈ったね！？…神木！！
この子に何をさせる気だい！？」続く。