Prepared by: Maviz M.

Asanul
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
 Born on March 1, 1892
in Tokyo Japan.

 Japanese writer
 Father of the Japanese
short story.

 Studied English in Tokyo

Imperial University.
 He graduated in 1916.
 He was a voracious
reader.
 He wrote for almost ten
years before his suicide.
 Committed suicide at the
age of 35 through an
overdose of barbital
(July 24, 1927).
1. Where is the setting for Part I and Part II?
2. Why Kandata thrown to hell?
3. By what means did the Buddha try to take
Kandata out of hell?
4. Describe the different parts in hell.
5. Explain: “But hell is nobody knows how many
miles removed from Paradise.”
6. What incident caused Kandata to lose his
chance of going up to Paradise?
7. What negative trait did Kandata show while
climbing up the Spider’s thread?

GEMSTONES
One day the Buddha was strolling alone on the
brink of the lotus pond of Paradise.

Part I - Paradise
 As the floor of Hell lay
directly beneath the lotus
pond of Paradise, the
River of the threefold path
to external darkness and
the piercing peaks of the
Needle Mountain were
distinctly visible through
the crystal water, as
through a stereopticon.
“No, no. Although it’s a very small spider, it has life too.”

KANDATA (A SINFUL MAN)

 As he looked down into Hell,
the Buddha remembered how
this Kandata had spared the
spider’s life. And in return for
this delivered him out of hell.
Fortunately, when he looked
around, he saw a spider of
Paradise spinning beautiful
silvery thread on the lotus
leaves.
 When he saw
this, his hands
clapped
themselves with
joy. If clinging to
this thread, he
could surely
escaped Hell.

Part II - Hell
But hell is nobody knows how many myriads of miles
removed from Paradise, and strive as he might, he
could not easily get out.
 Kandata
laughed
and exulted
in a voice
such as he
had not
uttered
during all
the years
since coming
here. “Success! Success!”
Hundreds and hundreds of sinners
were squirming out of the dark Pool
of Blood and climbing with all their
might in a line up the slender,
glittering thread. If he did not do
something quickly, the thread was sure
to break in two and fall.
Just at the moment,
the spider’s thread,
which had shown no
sign of breaking up
to that time,
suddenly broke with
a snap at the point
where Kandata was
hanging.
BUDDHA was watching all this.
1. Where is the setting for Part I and Part II?
 Paradise
 Hell
2. Why Kandata thrown to hell?
 Because of his bad deeds.
3. By what means did the Buddha try to take
Kandata out of hell?
 By using the spider’s thread
4. Describe the different parts in hell.
5. Explain: “But hell is nobody knows how many
miles removed from Paradise.”

6. What incident caused Kandata to lose his

chance of going up to Paradise?
 The thread was suddenly broke
7. What negative trait did Kandata show while
climbing up the Spider’s thread?

 He showed selfishness and shouted the

other sinners to get down the thread. He
claimed that he owns the spider’s thread.
GOD BLESS ^______^