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Nieh-ching-t'ai

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In Chinese mythology, Nieh-ching-t'ai (simplified Chinese: 孽镜台; traditional Chinese: 孽鏡臺; pinyin: niè jìngtái; lit. 'evil mirror platform') is a mirror in Diyu, the Chinese underworld. It is also known as the Mirror of the Wicked,[a] the Mirror of Retribution, and the Mirror of Past Existences.

Description

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Souls are forced to stand in front of it and see their true selves, namely the events of their previous existences.[1] The Yama King then makes his judgment.

It stands in the Court of the First Yama King and faces to the east, on a raised stand eleven feet in height. The mirror has a circumference of six feet.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ Chinese: 邪恶的镜子平台; pinyin: xié'è de jìngzi píngtái

References

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  1. ^ "CHINESE MYTHOLOGY". New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. p. 402. [..]placed in front of a huge mirror, the Mirror of the Wicked, Nieh-ching-t'ai, set up in the Court of the first Yama-King. In this mirror the souls see themselves with the appearance they had in their former life, and so perceive the crime they committed. The Yama-King bases the judgment he gives on this appearance.
  2. ^ Plopper, Clifford H. (1935). Chinese Religion Seen through the Proverb. Shanghai. p. 328.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)