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Gazing round as one's pity -- "Mourning The Dead"


The Taiwan writer Cheung Tai-chun wrote a novel named "Mourning The Dead" 10+ years ago, which manifests itself with unique manner and won him a SI-FI award. The words "Mourning the dead is just a form of self-sympathy" is indeed an annotation for the life and death.

A detective called On Tai Luk is ordered to investigate the murder of an opposition party leader Lo Wei. The killer is clearly Gor Man Long, who is an excellent samurai longing for the truth beyond death. Nonetheless, he is affected by a monster person who can't bear but will not die. There are also cues about political maneuvers and other social elements.

Those are very meaningful points but will not be discussed here. The gist of the story is the monster person Chi-Lei-Saw (broken bodies). This term first appears in "Mortal World" chapter in "Zhong Zhi", " Chi-Lei-Saw, hiding in Qi, has shoulder higher than the head, finger and five organs pointing up and 2 buttocks become the upper part of the body. They eat very little to survive. If the government wants soliders, their hands will disappear. If great wars happen, their bodies will break apart to refuse orders. As such a mankind can survive long, what about those breaking up of virtues? " It means the handicapped people are able to evade dangers. By the same token, we can call those people not holding tight to virtues crazy, but they should be the ones who survive long.

In the novel, monster people enjoy the feeling of temporary death very much -- that's why they are willing to be a living target for shooting. They live in "The Continet of Sky End" and are glad to share with monster cockroaches. However, they are the most intelligent men. " Since we don't die, we hope to forget everything "; monster people would like to disappear by making their land for nuclear explosions. On the contrary, citizens living in clean land are suffering from different constraints. What a paradox!

Asking to select between live or death, it is natural that we choose the former. But the dead has gone, what makes us the living people to be upset? Only those get rid of "Mourning the dead is just a form of self-sympathy" is the genuine deep concern!

Getting free for the soul -- "Bardo Thotrol"

"Bardo Thotrol", which is well-known as "The Tibetans Books Of Death", means the real freedom for the soul. Besides the knowledge of leading the soul, it also comprises a broad view of living.

As it has been mentioned, people after death will meet 3 different kinds of stages, namely, "soul for the verge of death" ( Chikhai Bardo ), "soul for the real one ( Chonyid Bardo ) and "soul for the other life" ( Sidpa Bardo ). The journey of death for them should only results in one thing -- getting rid of transmigration in order to achieve the perfect environment. Chikhai Bardo is the phenomenon which can be observed immediately after death.

The dead will encounter 3 different times of light, which is the beacon for the real joy. Unfortunately, people will normally enjoy the happiness of the materialistic world. This explains why they will normally fall in the next category, Chonyid Bardo

Soul for the real one will last for 14 days, including 7 folds of illusions, which can be roughly divided into "Happy Buddha" or "Angry Buddha". At the very last, "The King Of The Hell" comes into picture. Then, if the death is not afraid of the terrible images and merges with the nature, it is also a success. Otherwise, the soul will proceed to Sidpa Bardo.

Sidpa Bardo is the last chance of avoiding transmigration, as long as the soul no longer concentrates on itself and the materialistic existence. But more usual is that, it is attracted by the scenes and joys of the sexual intercourse, and hence is absorbed into as a baby. Should the result end it like this, all navigations by Bardo Thotrol are useless after all. Just like other buddhism classics, Bardo Thotrol thinks much of getting away from transmigration.

What they worry most is the attraction of sex. It seems that men are getting lost easily. The joy come by the sex behaviour is no sin, but the obsession to it is a mistake. By the same token, we always recall things of the pass-away, trying to bring peaceful to our mind de facto, and letting alone the real felicity for the dead.

"The Imperious one, brave the way and take it! All relatives, friends and children cannot show you the way. So, please unload your attachement and hankering. Just find the fortune path and go...." -- Bardo Thotrol.


So Yan Pui: "Death, You shouldn't be haughty!"

Of all the classics in the local modern Christian readings, "Death, you shouldn't be haughty!" gives us the best description about her frame of mind as a cancer patient. Although the title always manifests the content itself, the death does not appear haughty in this book. Frankly speaking, it is the author who acts humble!

The author So Yan Pui writes that she found herself in the troubles of cancer when she was very young. Since then, it kept pace with her during her life. She was so energetic that hadn't thought of that completely! What's worse, the chemical therapy "persecuted" her over the next 20 years .

The ironic teasing of her life hasn't led to any change of her faith to Christianity. Unlike others, she was far from negative. She kept on working hard for her career and belief. Just as she writes, she cared much about how the god perceives her!

It is quite surprising that Miss So hasn't staggered at all. She just braved her life. "Death is no difficult. The courage to carry on is the hardest indeed." Although I am not a Christian, I am deeply moved by her zeal towards life.

This book is the work of 80's. Nonetheless, the feeling conveyed is so lively and touching. Truly, the death can't bring away Miss So's life. Her nobleness and zeal always offer us sentiment at all times ......

 

 


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