Saint of Mt. Koya
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"His robes were short, the sleeves did not even reach to his elbows, and he wore a child's diapers. Yet all his clothing appeared to have been freshly washed and starched. His vest was knotted over his stomach with a cord, but his belly was grotesquely distended like a fat drum, and his belly button protruded grossly like the stem of a pumpkin. With one hand he fiddled mindlessly with his navel while the other hand lay limply at his side.

"The man sat with his legs thrust straight out in front of him as though he was not aware that they existed, and I had the impression that if his buttocks had not been firmly placed, he would have toppled over. He appeared to be in his early twenties. His mouth hung slackly open, his upper lip pulled back; his nose was broad and thick. He had a low, sloping forehead, and his hair, once closely cropped, now grew in wild, spiky tufts and hung long over his collar and ears. The man made no response to my inquiries, only stared at me blankly like a toad, causing me to suspect that he was retarded or mute or something. I was surprised, even startled, to encounter such a person, and although I did not feel in any personal danger, the man did present a bizarre and disturbing spectacle.

" 'Excuse me, I'd like to ask you something.' I had no choice but to attempt once more to communicate with this creature, but he made no reply. His only response was to flop his head over so that it rested on the other shoulder. His mouth remained slack and open as before.


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Intangible