The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and JapanNukariya, Kaiten
Religion
The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
Nukariya, Kaiten
Buddhism -- China; Buddhism -- Japan; China -- Religion; Human beings -- Origin; Japan -- Religion; Zen Buddhism
[FN#312] Poh Yiu, of Ching, is said to have become an epidemic
spirit to take vengeance on his enemies.
[FN#313] According to Tso Chwen (Sa-den), when Wei Wu, a General of
Tsin, fought with Tu Hwui, the dead father of his concubine appeared,
and prevented the march of the enemy in order to return favours done
to him.
The outside scholars might ask, by way of objection, if one live as a
spirit after death, the spirits of the past would fill up streets and
roads, and be seen by men; and why are there no eye-witnesses? I say
in reply that (as) there are the Six Worlds[FN#314] for the dead,
they do not necessarily live in the world of spirits. (Even as
spirits) they must die and be born again among men or other beings.
How can the spirits of the past always live in a crowd? Moreover, if
(as you say) man was born of (primordial) Gas which gave rise to
Heaven and Earth, and which was unconscious from the very beginning,
how could he be conscious all on a sudden after his birth? Why are
trees and grass which were also formed of the same Gas unconscious?
Again, if, (as you say), the rich and the poor, the high and the low,
the wise and the unwise, the good and the bad, the happy and the
unhappy, the lucky and the unlucky, are predestinated alike by
heavenly decree, why are so many destined by heaven to be poor and so
few to be rich? Why so many to be low and so few to be high? In
short, why are so many destined to be unlucky and so few to be lucky?
[FN#314] (1) The heaven, or the world for Devas; (2) the earth, or
the world for men; (3) the world for Asuras; (4) the world for
Petras; (5) the world for beasts; (6) hell.
If it be the will of Heaven to bless so limited a number of persons
at all, and to curse so many, why is Heaven so partial? Even more
than that! Are there not many who hold a high position without any
meritorious conduct, while some are placed in a low one in spite of
their keeping to (the rules of) conduct? Are there not many who are
rich without any virtues, while some are poor in spite of their
virtues? Are there not the unjust who are fortunate, while the just
are unfortunate? Are there not the humane, who die young, while the
inhuman enjoy long lives? In short, the righteous (are doomed) to
perish, while the unrighteous prosper! Thus (we must infer) that all
this depends on the heavenly will, which causes the unrighteous to
prosper and the righteous to perish. How can there be reward for the
good (as it is taught in your sacred books),[FN#315] that Heaven
blesses the good and shows grace to the humble? How can there be
punishment for the bad (as it is taught in your holy books),[FN#316]
that Heaven curses the evil and inflicts punishment on the proud?
[FN#315] Shu King and I King.
[FN#316] Ibid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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