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Tachibana No Kachiko
Tachibana founded the Buddhist Danrin-ji temple complex in Japan which earned her the name Empress Danrin Tachibana No KAchiko Tachibana No KAchiko
Empress Danrin, also known as, Tachibana no Kachiko, lived during Japan’s early Heian period in Kyoto. A devoted Buddhist who wanted to use her high status and education to further Buddha’s teachings on the impermanence of huamn life, Tachibana suffered over the fact that nobody could see beyond her beauty and take her seriously, to truly hear her teachings. No matter what she did, she was cursed with unwanted admirers.
Beauty
So when Tachibana died at the age of 64 in the year 850, still beautiful, I might add, the royal family was shocked to find that her last will and testament decreed that her body should be dressed in a simple katabira, or funeral kimono, and thrown in the streets to rot and be eaten by animals.This way people would finally understand the fleeting nature of beauty and physical
DEath
Tachibana got her wish. She had her death plan excutedHer body was placed in the street and her decomposing corpse was torn apart by dogs and birds. You can still visit the approximate spot where she lay decomposing at the Katabira no Tsuji station, also called the Crossroad of Corpses, in Kyoto. It’s because of her commitment to her beliefs, as well as the ecstasy of decay, that we salute Tachibana no Kachiko, our iconic corpse, disposition teacher.
