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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