In Mishirabe, a person reflects on him or herself under extremely severe situation where no food, sleep, or water is allowed, in order to see which seeds he or she has more than the other, the seeds to bring him or her to hell or those to heaven.
「身調べ」は断食・断眠・断水という極めて厳しい条件の下で自分の行為を振り返り、地獄行きの種が多いか、極楽行きの種が多いかを調べるというものだった。