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CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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— 242 —<br />

Muh-lien g £| was apprized through<br />

revelation <strong>of</strong> the excru-<br />

ciating horrors endured by his mother in the nether world (1),<br />

having violated her vow, and taken to eating<br />

for<br />

meat. Moved with<br />

filial piety (2), he prepared a bowl <strong>of</strong> rice, and took it to the starving<br />

soul in Hades. Alas !<br />

before the bowl touched her lips, it was<br />

pilfered by the affamisbed demons, or converted into fiery ashes, so<br />

that she could not eat there<strong>of</strong>. He made likewise several other<br />

endeavours to procure her food, but all in vain. He then followed<br />

her from one department <strong>of</strong> Hades to another, without ever being<br />

able to appease her hunger. When she reached the tenth depart-<br />

ment, she was condemned to be reborn as a dog, and live in a<br />

family named Cheng f$ (3). At this news, Muh-lien g jgi uttered<br />

a piteous cry, and amidst tears wended his way to the palace <strong>of</strong><br />

Buddha, Jii-lai-fuh £rj ?j$ f^,. Arrived there, he explained what had<br />

happened, and awaited Buddha's instruction. On this the "Honoured<br />

One" opened his mouth, and said : "the sin which binds your<br />

mother to her unhappy fate is most grievous ; she has violated one<br />

<strong>of</strong> the greatest precepts <strong>of</strong> the law (4).<br />

You can never by your own<br />

strength rescue her from Hades, and the series <strong>of</strong> transmigrations<br />

which await her. But by assembling the monks <strong>of</strong> the ten quarters,<br />

through their spiritual energy, deliverance may<br />

be obtained. The<br />

(1) The Avalambana Sutra, from which the original story <strong>of</strong> Maudgal-<br />

yayana's descent into the Preta hell is taken, states he wished also to deliver<br />

his father from Hades. Waddell. The Buddhism <strong>of</strong> Tibet, p. 98.<br />

(2) The whole legend is invented for the purpose <strong>of</strong> extolling filial piety.<br />

Buddhism lays as much stress on this virtue as does Confucianism itself.<br />

Were it otherwise, says Johnston, it would never have struck a deep root in<br />

Chinese soil. Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 193.<br />

legend.<br />

(3) This latter detail is found only in the Chinese version <strong>of</strong> the original<br />

(4) "Thou shalt not kill any living being" is the first <strong>of</strong> the 5 Buddhist<br />

prohibitions. To deprive any living being <strong>of</strong> life, says a Chinese Commen-<br />

tator, is one <strong>of</strong> the gravest <strong>of</strong> sins,' from two points <strong>of</strong> view. 1° because all<br />

• nimals<br />

instinctively cling to life. 2° because all living beings, even the lowest<br />

insects partake <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong> Buddha. To commit needless and wanton<br />

slaughter, therefore, is to incur the guilt <strong>of</strong> killing a Buddha. Johnston.<br />

Buddhist China, p. 182-183.

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