[56] There are many curious sayings and proverbs about the oni, or Buddhist devil,—such as _Oni no mé ni mo namida_, “tears in even a devil’s eyes;”—Oni no kakuran, “devil’s cholera” (said of the unexpected sickness of some very strong and healthy person), etc., etc.—The class of demons called _Oni_, properly belong to the Buddhist hells, where they act as torturers and jailers. They are not to be confounded with the _Ma, Yasha, Kijin_, and other classes of evil spirits. In Buddhist art they are represented as beings of enormous strength, with the heads of bulls and of horses. The bull-headed demons are called _Go-zu;_ the horse-headed _Mé-zu_. 66.—_Oni mo mi, narétaru ga yoshi._ Even a devil, when you become accustomed to the sight of him, may prove a pleasant acquaintance. 67.—_Oni ni kanabō._ An iron club for a demon.[57] [57] Meaning that great power should be given only to the strong. 68.—_Oni no nyōbo ni kijin._ A devil takes a goblin to wife.[58] [58] Meaning that a wicked man usually marries a wicked woman. 69.—_Onna no ké ni wa dai-zō mo tsunagaru._ With one hair of a woman you can tether even a great elephant. 70.—_Onna wa Sangai ni iyé nashi._ Women have no homes of their own in the Three States of Existence. 71.—_Oya no ingwa ga ko ni mukuü._ The karma of the parents is visited upon the child.[59] [59] Said of the parents of crippled or deformed children. But the popular idea here expressed is not altogether in accord with the teachings of the higher Buddhism. 72.—_Rakkwa éda ni kaerazu._ The fallen blossom never returns to the branch.[60] [60] That which has been done never can be undone: the past cannot be recalled.—This proverb is an abbreviation of the longer Buddhist text: _Rakkwa éda ni kaerazu; ha-kyō futatabi terasazu:_ “The fallen blossom never returns to the branch; the shattered mirror never again reflects.” 73.—_Raku wa ku no tané; ku wa raku no tané._ Pleasure is the seed of pain; pain is the seed of pleasure. 74.—_Rokudō wa, mé no maë._ The Six Roads are right before your eyes.[61] [61] That is to say, Your future life depends upon your conduct in this life; and you are thus free to choose for yourself the place of your next birth. 75.—_Sangai mu-an._ There is no rest within the Three States of Existence. 76.—_Sangai ni kaki nashi;—Rokudō ni hotori nashi._ There is no fence to the Three States of Existence;—there is no neighborhood to the Six Roads.[62]