The Storm Dragon : THE STORM DRAGON. Shen of Tai-Ts'ang was wealthy, but a brutal and inhumane man who treated his fellow-citizens shamefully, and especially exhibited his bad character in damaging their instruments and machines, or any utensils which were used by workers in tilling the soil, manufacturing, fishing...
The Northern Constellation : THE NORTHERN CONSTELLATION. P'ang Hng-Hsiu organized with his friends an association the purpose of which was to worship the Northern Constellation. He observed all necessary religious disciplines {p. 106} and recited the "sutras" with reverence. One day, however, he became so intoxicated that he...
Punishment Apportioned To Crime : PUNISHMENT APPORTIONED TO CRIME. In the garden of the city of Sieu-Shui-Siuen, there once lived a man by the name of Fan Ki, who led a wicked life. He induced men to stir up quarrels and lawsuits with each other, to seize by violence what did not belong to them, and to dishonor other men's wives...
Good And Evil Spirits : (GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS.) If a man's heart be awakened to the good, though the good be not yet accomplished, good spirits verily are already following him. (1170-1184) If a man's heart be awakened to evil, though evil be not yet accomplished, evil spirits verily are already following him. (1185-1199)
A Description Of Evil Doers : A DESCRIPTION OF EVIL-DOERS.) Yet[28] there are some people whose behavior is unrighteous. (317-322) Their deportment is irrational.[29] (323-326) In evil they delight.[30] (327-330) With brutality they do harm and damage. (331-334) Insidiously they injure the good and the law-abiding. (335-338)...
Punishments For Evil Doers : PUNISHMENTS FOR EVIL-DOERS.) For all these crimes the councilors of destiny deprive the guilty, according to the lightness or gravity of the offence, of terms from twelve years to a hundred days, and when the lease of life is exhausted they perish. (1059-1076) If at death an unexpiated offence be...
Misuse Of Books : MISUSE OF BOOKS. A temple in the district of Wu-Kung-Hien contained a library which students from the district school often consulted. One winter day, four of them used some of the sacred books for fuel to heat the room, while another burned one book to warm some water for his toilet. Only one...
The Spirit Of The Hearth : THE SPIRIT OF THE HEARTH. In the days of the Ming dynasty (1368-1628 A. D.) during the years called Kia-Tsing (1522-1567 A. D.) there lived in the province of Kiang-Shih a man named Yu {p. 111} Kong. His posthumous name was Tu, and his honorary title Liang-Chin. He was gifted with unusual capacity...
Untitled : T'AI-SHANG KAN-YING P'IEN Treatise Of The Exalted One On Response And Retribution Translated From The Chinese By TEITARO SUZUKI AND DR. PAUL CARUS La Salle, Ill. The Open Court Publishing Co. [1906] This work is a key text about Taoist morality and ethics. It is also translated in the Sacred Books...
The Cruel Hunters : THE CRUEL HUNTERS. In the county of Hsiang-Tan in Hu-Kuang there was an old and much respected gentleman. He had three sons who did not care for culture and refinement but spent every day in sports and roaming through the mountains. One day the three went out hunting with a large company of young...
A Simile : (A SIMILE.) Those who seize property, are, to use an illustration, like those who relieve their hunger by eating tainted meat,[63] or quench their thirst by drinking poisoned liquor. Though they are not without temporary gratification, death will anon overcome them. (1146-1169)
Good Spirits In Attendance : GOOD SPIRITS IN ATTENDANCE. Yuen, having conceived a violent hatred against an acquaintance, set out one morning, knife in hand, with the purpose of killing him. A venerable man sitting in a convent saw him pass, and was amazed to observe several scores of spirits closely following him, some...
Title Page : T'AI-SHANG KAN-YING P'IEN Treatise Of The Exalted One On Response And Retribution Translated From The Chinese By TEITARO SUZUKI AND DR. PAUL CARUS Containing Introduction, Chinese Text Verbatim Translation Translation, Explanatory Notes And Moral Tales Edited By Dr. Paul Carus With Sixteen Plates...
Conclusion : CONCLUSION.) Therefore, blessed is the man who speaketh what is good, who thinketh what is good, who practiceth what is good. If but each single day he would persevere in these three ways of goodness,[65] within three years Heaven will surely shower on him blessings. (1231-1251) Unfortunate is...
Moral Injunctions : MORAL INJUNCTIONS.) The right way leads forward; the wrong way backward.[19] (148-155) Do not proceed on an evil path. (156-159) Do not sin[20] in secret.[21] (160-163) Accumulate virtue, increase merit. (164-167) With a compassionate heart turn toward all creatures. (168-171) Be faithful, filial...
The Impious Magistrate : THE IMPIOUS MAGISTRATE. Wang An-shih, a high magistrate of the Sung dynasty (960-1278 A. D.), was a learned scholar but recklessly irreverent, and so introduced, radical innovations in his administration. People complained, officers demurred, and the emperor expressed surprise; but he would say...
A Ruffian's Reform : A RUFFIAN'S REFORM. Wu Chien-Chiu of Shan-Yu had wonderful muscular strength, and nobody in his town could beat him at boxing or fencing. He became so overbearing that any person who dared affront him was sure to pay a penalty for it. He borrowed the property of others without ever returning it...
Next. Introduction : INTRODUCTION. IF the popularity of books must be measured by either the number of copies in which they appear or the devotion of their readers, the "T'ai-Shang Kan-Ying P'ien", i. e., "The Treatise of the Exalted One on Response and Retribution," will probably have to be assigned the first place...
Philanthropy Rewarded : PHILANTHROPY REWARDED. The people in the province of Chiang-Hsi had an objection to raising daughters, and on that account there were a great many bachelors there. The governor wanted to put a stop to the inhuman custom of drowning infants, and so he summoned some of his old councilors to see wh...
The Incensed Goddess : THE INCENSED GODDESS. There was a shrine to the water-goddess in the village of Ch'ing Ch'i, and her image that was placed there was so nicely carved that it looked like a real goddess of splendid beauty. The villagers made her the guardian of the district and paid her great respect. It w...
The Power Of A Good Man's Name : THE POWER OF A GOOD MAN'S NAME. King Tsing, while on his way to a large gathering, passed through a district called Chun-Hoa, where there lived a young girl who was possessed of evil spirits. When King passed the night at her home, the demons did not dare to enter, but they returned as soon as he...
Rays Of Truth : RAYS OF TRUTH. A COPY of the "T'ai-Shang Kan-Ying P'ien" had been handed down in the family of Wan Teh-Hs from one of his ancestors as a very precious heirloom. Four successive generations had reverently read and recited it, and now when it came into the possession of Wan Teh-Hs, he kept it...
The Pious Scholar's Good Fortune : THE PIOUS SCHOLAR'S GOOD FORTUNE. Shang Shih-Ying of the Ming dynasty was a good caligrapher. Though poor, he was diligent in doing good. Once he saw a man asking for aid to print and distribute the Kan-Ying P'ien. He wanted to help the man, and having no means, pawned his clothing. With the cash...
Blessings Of The Good : BLESSINGS OF THE GOOD.) Those who are thus, are good: people honor them; Heaven's Reason[24] gives them grace[25]; blessings and abundance follow them; all ill luck keeps away[26]; angel spirits guard them. What {p. 54} ever they undertake will surely succeed, and even to spiritual saintliness[27]...
A Chinese Home Mission Publishing Company : A CHINESE HOME MISSION PUBLISHING COMPANY. There are Bible societies in Europe and America, the contributors to which deem it meritorious to publish and propagate the canonical books of Christianity; and in China we meet with analogous sentiments which prompt people to spread abroad religious books...
Explanatory Notes : EXPLANATORY NOTES. 1. "T'ai-Shang", "the Exalted One," also called "T'ai Shang Lao Chn", "the Exalted Ancient Master," is an honorary appellation of "Li Er", who is popularly known as "Lao Tze", "the Ancient Philosopher." 2. The title is commonly but not correctly translated "The Book of Rewards...
A Visit To Hell : A VISIT TO HELL. Ch'an Ju-Y of Pu-Hai was a poor man, but he was never tired of doing every good and charitable work in his power. He also employed himself indefatigably, although he was often in poor health, in copying many good books to be distributed among his neighbors. When he was asked why he...
Quotations : QUOTATIONS.[64]) Those who have hitherto done evil deeds should henceforth mend and repent. (1200-1209) If evil be no longer practiced and good deeds done, and if in this way a man continues and continues, he will surely obtain happiness {p. 66} and felicity. He will, indeed, so to speak...
Introduction : INTRODUCTION.) THE Exalted One says: (1-3) Curses and blessings do not come through gates, but man himself invites their arrival. (4-11) The reward of good and evil is like the shadow accompanying a body, and so it is apparent that heaven and earth are possessed of crime-recording spirits. (12-28)...
The Ants : THE ANTS. Ho Kwan of Kuang Nan was a kindhearted man and never killed any living thing. He had a jar containing one thousand pieces of silver which he kept in a casket. The white ants, of which there were so many in his district, invaded the casket and ate part of the silver. When his family found...