Paradise with Strings Attached: Pure Land Death Ritual and Matrons' Predestined Male Birth.

The article examines both literal and figurative strings attached to birth into the Western Paradise as it focuses on the Pure Land Buddhism's death ritual and matron's predestined male birth. In addition, it also presents the death ritual originating in Buddhist monasteries which required a five-colored string attached between a golden statue of Buddhist deity Amitabha and a dying person to ensure birth into the Western Paradise. The author points out that the literal string attached to birth into the Western Paradise refers to the method by which a person could be pulled there.