Heaven

Heaven 【天界 Tenkai】 (Saiyuki Vol 1 - Continuous)

☆ It’s called Heaven, but that isn't to say that it exists in the sky; it exists in something of another dimension. It is the place where Shangri-la’s original “gods” reside. There is no notion of time or death, much less that of the seasons. The cherry blossoms are perpetually in bloom there.

☆ In Shangri-la, just as humans and youkai coexist, so too does heaven and earth. The “gods” are close, and thus a single, unusual belief system has formed. To those living in Shangri-la, rather than saying that heaven is “Buddha’s land,” heaven is “where those who have gone beyond mortal knowledge are, and they take care of the management of Shangri-la.” To put it in the extreme, the gods are something like “absolute politicians”. However, only the highest ranking monks said to be “close to the gods”, such as the Sanzo Priests, can directly contact heaven.

☆ In Heaven, the sun and moon are not visible.

☆ Normal, everyday stores and eateries do not exist, but it does have restaurants.