《太上感應篇》Vol. 29

This passage recounts several stories about killing and compassion. In Mizhou (present-day Zhucheng, Shandong), Cheng Sichang witnessed the cruel scenes of hunters capturing birds—some had their heads pecked apart by falcons, while others had their wings broken in nets. That very night, he burned incense and prayed to Heaven, resolving to carve woodblocks for printing his family's treasured Chart Against Killing in hopes of reforming the local people.

A man named Peng Jing received a copy of the Chart Against Killing, but his wife Hua angrily tore it up and threw it into a filthy place. The next day, as she prepared to slaughter fish she had purchased, one fish suddenly leaped up and pierced her eye. The blood that flowed out transformed into worms that coiled around her body. A local official named Xiang Shu seemed to glimpse the apparition of the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu Dadi), who declared that Cheng Sichang's printing and distribution of the Chart Against Killing was originally a virtuous act, while Hua's destruction of the scripture constituted grave sin. Others who refused to repent would likewise face punishment.

Two further stories illustrate the spiritual nature of all living beings: During the Tang dynasty, Wei Nankang in Sichuan kept a remarkably intelligent parrot. When people taught it to chant Buddhist sutras, it grasped the Buddhist principle of progressing from "conscious thought" to "no-thought." After its death, cremation revealed relics (sarira), prompting people to build a "Parrot Pagoda" in its honor. Another account tells of a widow, Lady Li, who remained chaste after being moved by the sight of a widowed swallow flying alone.

These examples collectively warn that spring hunting—large-scale hunting expeditions in spring—is a grave taboo. Animals equally possess Buddha-nature (the potential for enlightenment), and harming them invites retribution. The Perfected Warrior's admonition and Hua's immediate karmic retribution both embody the Daoist core tenet that "good and evil inevitably meet their just rewards."

This scripture recounts several karmic retribution stories and emphasizes the importance of abstaining from killing during springtime.

The first story tells of a righteous swallow: for three consecutive years, a solitary swallow visited its benefactor. Upon learning of Lady Li's death, the bird starved itself before her tomb, prompting people to build a "Swallow Mausoleum." This demonstrates even animals understand gratitude and righteousness.

The text then stresses abstention from killing in spring, the season when all things flourish. The ancient "Monthly Ordinances" (Yueling) records this principle. Quoting the Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), it explains traditional spring hunting regulations: only non-pregnant animals could be taken, as the purpose was military training rather than wanton slaughter. How could benevolent people bear the cruelty of setting forests ablaze to hunt?

Two stories then illustrate karmic consequences for hurtful speech: The Venerable Bakula, who in a past life mocked someone for eating "as slowly as cattle grazing," suffered retribution as an arhat by having oxen lick his food. Similarly, the Heavenly Being Shan Zhu, who as a temple overseer insulted visiting monks as "blind," eventually lost his eyesight when his merit exhausted. These stories prove malicious speech inevitably brings retribution—especially when directed northward (the sacred direction where deities reside).

Finally, quoting the Jataka Sutra (Bensheng Jing), it states: By sincerely observing purification rituals (zhai) during the Beginning of Spring and performing the Nine Radiance Ceremony (Jiuguang Jiao) to welcome the Violet Radiance Holy Mother (Ziguang Shengmu) and the Seven Origin Star Lords (Qiyuan Jun), even the gravest sins melt away like sunlight dissolving ice mountains. Practitioners thereby gain blessings of longevity and prosperous descendants—these virtuous rewards flow endlessly like sweet springs.

Note: "North Star" (Beichen) refers to Polaris; "Violet Radiance Holy Mother" is an epithet of Doumu Yuanjun, while "Seven Origin Lords" denote the Big Dipper deities—all significant Daoist divinities.

This scripture conveys two main teachings: first, it illustrates through historical anecdotes how sincere devotion to the Dao brings blessings; second, it emphasizes the prohibition against harming spiritually attuned creatures like turtles and snakes.

The first section presents documented cases: Liu Jun received absolution through performing a Destiny Renewal Ritual (a Daoist ceremony for longevity), while a woman surnamed Lou successfully extended her father's life through prayer. Li Da was granted a son due to his pious practice, Duke Weiguo became a celebrated Tang dynasty statesman, and Zhuge Liang's daughter attained celestial ascension by emulating Pengzu's cultivation methods—all verifiable accounts from Daoist records.

The latter portion uses two parables to demonstrate the spiritual nature of turtles and snakes: When Liu Yanhui's father served as governor of Huzhou, someone presented him with a giant turtle said to confer thousand-year lifespans—which he immediately released. Later, this same turtle guided Liu's family to safety during a catastrophic flood. Sun Simiao (the immortalized physician) once saved a green snake that turned out to be a dragon prince; a month later, he was invited to the Dragon Palace where the entire royal family expressed gratitude.

The text concludes with this admonition: All living beings deserve protection, especially spiritually endowed creatures like turtles and snakes. Harming them invites karmic retribution from their lingering spirits. Discerning individuals should actively safeguard such creatures.

The encomium observes: People should revere natural laws as they venerate the Big Dipper, maintaining circumspection in daily conduct. Like Guan Ning—the renowned Three Kingdoms recluse who examined his faults while combing hair—how much more should we refrain from careless malice?

This scripture expounds the principles of karmic retribution and reincarnation.

A story tells of someone who attempted to offer delicacies, silks, and jewels to a Daoist practitioner, yet the master accepted none of these. He only received thirty celestial prescriptions (immortal formulas) bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor from the Dragon Palace. The later-circulated Thousand Gold Prescriptions were derived from these thirty celestial formulas. But even so, can one justify killing turtles or beating snakes to death?

The text particularly emphasizes: the turtle is one of the Four Auspicious Beasts (dragon, phoenix, qilin, and turtle), while the snake is the most spiritually attuned creature among all insects, being the first to hibernate. When someone like Yu Ju (an ancient turtle catcher) uses nets to capture spiritual turtles, even the essence-spirit of the White Emperor (deity of the West) weeps in sorrow. These creatures are not without consciousness, and calamity may strike unexpectedly. When encountering knowledgeable individuals, one should rescue them from peril.

For sins like killing living beings, the Director of Fate (deity governing lifespan) will deduct years from one's life according to the severity of the offense. When all allotted years are exhausted, death follows, and after death, one must bear residual karmic debts, which may even affect descendants.

The text then explains seven patterns of karmic reincarnation:

All beings in the world cycle endlessly through birth and death. In life, they follow habitual tendencies; in death, they drift according to karma. At the moment of death, while the body still retains warmth, the accumulated karma of good and evil from a lifetime manifests simultaneously. The karma at death intertwines with one's habitual tendencies from life: if one's thoughts were purely serene, they ascend to the heavens; if blessed with both merit and wisdom, coupled with pure vows, they behold the Buddhas of the ten directions and are reborn in pure lands according to their aspirations.

Those with few desires and predominantly serene thoughts become flying immortals, mighty ghost kings, yakshas (demigods), or rakshasas (malevolent spirits), able to roam freely among the four heavens. Among them, those with virtuous vows who uphold the Dharma, observe precepts, cultivate mantras, or practice meditation may draw near to the Tathagata.

Those with balanced desires and serene thoughts are reborn as humans: more serenity yields intelligence, while stronger desires lead to dullness. Those with predominantly desires and scant serenity fall into the animal realm: the heavily karmic become beasts, the lightly karmic become birds. Those with seven parts desire and three parts serenity sink into the water element, reborn in fiery realms as hungry ghosts, perpetually scorched by flames and tormented by hunger and thirst. Those with nine parts desire and one part serenity plunge into the wind-fire hells, with the gravest offenders falling into the Avici Hell (the endless torment).

All these sufferings of samsara arise because sentient beings cling to illusions and indulge in evil habits like killing, stealing, and lust.

This scripture primarily discusses the karmic retribution of hell realms and the six paths of rebirth (samsara), along with the causes behind the seven forms of existence (seven destinies).

The most severe of the hell realms, Avīci Hell (the Uninterrupted Hell), is reserved for those utterly blinded by desire who commit grave offenses. If one slanders the Dharma in their heart, violates precepts, deceives devotees, covets offerings, feigns reverence, or commits the five heinous crimes (such as patricide or matricide) and other unforgivable evils, they will fall into the Avīci Hells of the ten directions. These negative karmas are self-inflicted, and within the collective retribution, each being experiences distinct consequences.

The text elaborates on the seven forms of existence: hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, immortals (xian), devas (celestial beings), and asuras. All these arise from clinging to delusional thoughts and actions—phenomena of cyclical rebirth. Sentient beings, failing to recognize their inherently pure nature, indulge in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and other evils, thus perpetually suffering in samsara without attaining true purity.

It then details the six levels of the deva realm (six desire heavens):

1. The Heaven of the Four Kings: Worldly people who still experience marital love but restrain lustful thoughts may dwell near the sun and moon after death.

2. The Heaven of the Thirty-Three: Those with waning attachment to spouses, maintaining awareness in moments of purity, transcend the light of sun and moon to reside at the peak of the human realm.

3. The Suyāma Heaven: Those ordinarily pure, having desires but no fixation, dwell after death in luminous space, needing neither sun nor moon.

4. The Tuṣita Heaven: Free of lust, they engage in intercourse as tasteless as chewing wax, ascending after death to subtler states.

5. The Heaven of Joy in Transformation: Beyond worldly desires and gender distinctions, they manifest transformations at will after death.

6. The Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others' Emanations: Fully transcending worldly cravings, they wield unrestricted transformations.

Though these six celestial realms transcend physical limitations, their inhabitants still harbor mental attachments. Beyond them lie the eighteen heavens of the form realm and the four formless heavens—yet even these devas fail to truly awaken to the wondrous luminous true mind.

This passage describes the various deviations and states of rebirth that may arise during spiritual cultivation. It mainly discusses three paths: the path of immortals, the path of asuras, and the human path.

First, the cultivation of the immortal path. Some people do not cultivate according to the true teaching, but become attached to delusions and unusual methods of practice. These include the “earth-traveling immortals,” who cultivate by eating particular foods; the “flight-traveling immortals,” who fly by consuming herbs; the “wandering-traveling immortals,” who refine metals and ores; the “sky-traveling immortals,” who practice breathwork and guided movement; the “heaven-traveling immortals,” who swallow saliva; the “free-traveling immortals,” who gather and replenish Jing, vital energy, and sexual essence; the “Way-practicing immortals,” who focus exclusively on spells and magical arts; the “illumination-practicing immortals,” who rely on meditation and mental power; the “essence-practicing immortals,” who cultivate Yin-Yang together; and the “transcendence-practicing immortals,” who seek supernatural powers and transformations. Although these practitioners may live for millions of years and dwell in remote mountains or on sea islands, they have not cultivated genuine awakening, so after death they still fall back into the cycle of rebirth.

Next is the path of the asuras, beings who are not of the heavenly realm. There are four kinds. The first are egg-born asuras, who gain supernatural powers through magical arts after coming from the realm of ghosts. The second are womb-born asuras, banished from the heavenly realm and dwelling near the sun and moon. The third are transformation-born asuras: powerful asura kings who can contend with the gods for authority. The fourth are moisture-born asuras, lower-ranking beings who dwell in the sea, wander through the air by day, and return to the ocean depths at night.

Finally, the human path. The scripture explains that becoming a person of high rank, such as a king or elder, or having an upright and attractive appearance, is the good result of having respectfully served the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—in a former life. It especially emphasizes that a person’s good fortune and appearance are connected to the merit accumulated in previous lives.

A dignified appearance and fair complexion are cultivated through the ability to endure humiliation. Diligence in action without laziness, and joy in accumulating virtuous deeds (De), are nurtured through persistent effort. Composure in speech and action, along with thoughtful deliberation, are attained through meditation practice (Neidan).

Those who deeply comprehend the Dharma, expound profound teachings, and guide the ignorant—whose words are treasured like jewels—gain such wisdom through enlightened cultivation. A clear and melodious voice results from frequent praise of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) in past lives. A healthy, clean, and disease-free body is a blessing cultivated through compassion.

Conversely, constant fear and a hoarse voice stem from karmic retribution for suffering in hell realms. Foolishness, laziness, gluttony, excessive chatter, chaotic thoughts, and timidity—along with befriending the ignorant and preferring dark environments—are habits carried over from the animal realm.

A filthy body comes from past lives as a pig; cruelty and ferocity from being a venomous snake; shamelessness from being a dog; stubbornness from being a sheep; indulgence in fine food, wanton killing, and lack of compassion from predatory animals like wolves, foxes, and eagles. Restlessness and impatience are linked to past lives as monkeys.

A tall stature arises from past reverence for others; shortness from past arrogance. Ugly features stem from frequent anger; ignorance from refusing to learn. Short life and illness result from killing; poverty from theft. Childlessness comes from destroying marriages; unruly children from defiling others' daughters. Becoming an orphan or widow stems from mistreating one's own children. Constant hunger arises from selfish gluttony; servitude from unpaid debts. An unattractive appearance results from disrespect toward the Three Jewels.

Blocking a Buddha's lamp leads to rebirth as a water buffalo; oppressive governance as an official leads to rebirth as a deer. Frightening others leads to rebirth among dragons; teasing others causes incurable sores. Whipping others invites universal disdain; imprisoning and tormenting beings results in being shackled. Fishing enthusiasts are reborn in naked lands; those who disrespect temples are reborn in horse-hoof realms. Treading on sacred ground with shoes leads to rebirth in pierced-chest lands. Regretting charitable deeds diminishes their merit. Only after these karmic debts are repaid can one regain human form.

This scripture expounds on the karmic retribution whereby sentient beings descend into hell realms due to various evil deeds. According to the Taishang Ganying Pian (Treatise on the Response of the Dao), those who are obstinate and ignorant, mediocre and inactive, as well as vicious creatures like foxes, wolves, and venomous insects, are all reborn in such forms due to unresolved karmic debts from past lives. Since beginningless kalpas, these beings have been trapped in deluded thinking, continuously harming and slaughtering one another. Without encountering the Dharma (represented by the Tathagata) or hearing the true teachings, they remain endlessly cycling through worldly afflictions—truly pitiable creatures.

The text then details ten evil causes and six corresponding retributions for falling into hell. The ten evil causes are: habitual lust, habitual greed, habitual arrogance, habitual hatred, habitual deceit, habitual false speech, habitual resentment, habitual wrong views, falsely accusing others, and contentious litigation. These ten habitual tendencies invite six types of retribution, all arising from karma created by the six consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and manifested through the six sense faculties.

The six retributions are specified as follows:

First, karma created by eye-consciousness (visual retribution): At death, one sees raging fire filling the sky, and the deceased's Shen (spirit) plummets with the smoke into the Avici Hell.

Second, karma created by ear-consciousness (auditory retribution): At death, one hears colossal waves submerging heaven and earth, and the Shen drifts with the currents into hell.

Third, karma created by nose-consciousness (olfactory retribution): At death, one smells poisonous fumes permeating the air, and the Shen emerges from beneath the earth to enter hell.

Fourth, karma created by tongue-consciousness (gustatory retribution): At death, one sees a world engulfed by iron nets and seas of fire, and the Shen tumbles headfirst through the nets into hell.

Fifth, karma created by body-consciousness (tactile retribution): At death, one sees mountains crushing from all sides, along with iron cities filled with fire snakes, fire dogs, and demonic guards like Ox-Head and Horse-Face wielding weapons, driving the Shen into the Avici Hell.

Sixth, karma created by mind-consciousness (mental retribution): At death, one encounters a malignant wind annihilating everything, and the Shen is hurled into the sky before crashing violently into hell.

These descriptions serve as stern warnings: every thought, word, and deed generates karma, ultimately bringing corresponding retribution.

This scripture elucidates the specific circumstances of beings suffering hellish retributions due to their creation of evil karma. Among the six fundamental retributions, each is further divided into two manifestations of evil, collectively termed "Ten Causes and Six Fruits of Hell." All these arise from the deluded thoughts and evil deeds created by sentient beings.

When beings complete various evil deeds (i.e., committing all types of wicked actions), they fall into the Avīci Hell (the most excruciating of the uninterrupted hells), enduring immeasurable suffering across countless kalpas. When the six sense faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) each create karma in conjunction with their corresponding external objects, they descend into the Eight Uninterrupted Hells. When the three karmas of body, speech, and mind simultaneously commit killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, they fall into the Eighteen-Layered Hells. If the three karmas are incomplete—committing only one or two, such as killing or stealing—they descend into the Thirty-Six-Layered Hells. If only one sense faculty commits a single evil deed, they fall into the One Hundred and Eight-Layered Hells. These are the results of different evil deeds created by beings, collectively suffering corresponding retributions in the world. These hells are born from deluded thoughts and do not originally exist.

Next, the scripture discusses beings in the hungry ghost realm. These individuals are not reborn as hungry ghosts due to grave sins like breaking precepts, violating bodhisattva vows, or slandering the Dharma, but rather due to miscellaneous karma. After their sins are burned away by the fires of kalpas, they are reborn as hungry ghosts. Depending on the sins committed in their past lives, they transform into different types of ghosts:

Those whose crime was greed for wealth take form upon encountering objects and are called "strange ghosts." Those whose crime was lust take form upon encountering wind and are called "drought ghosts." Those whose crime was deluded attachment take form upon encountering animals and are called "seductive ghosts." Those whose crime was resentment take form upon encountering insects and are called "poisonous ghosts." Those whose crime was clinging to memories take form upon encountering decaying energy and are called "pestilent ghosts." Those whose crime was arrogance take form upon encountering energy and are called "hungry ghosts." Those whose crime was deceit take form upon encountering darkness and are called "nightmare ghosts." Those whose crime was craving cleverness take form upon encountering vital essence (Jing) and are called "mischievous ghosts." Those whose crime was craving achievement take form upon encountering light and are called "servant ghosts." Those whose crime was forming factions take form upon encountering people and are called "messenger ghosts."

All these are the result of pure emotional desires leading to downfall. After being dried up by the fires of karma, they ascend as ghosts. The hungry ghost realm is particularly agonizing: due to greed, they constantly seek but never obtain; due to jealousy, they see others satisfied while they suffer perpetual hunger; due to malice, their own bodies emit flames that burn them; and due to arrogance, their blessings are exceedingly meager, leaving them vulnerable to bullying even by minor ghosts.

Finally, an example is given: When the Buddha was in the city of Vaiśālī, he encountered eighty-four thousand hungry ghosts in the morning. These ghosts wept and lamented, saying: "In our past lives, though we saw the Buddha, we did not recognize him; though we heard the Dharma, we did not understand it; though we saw the Sangha, we did not acknowledge them. Not only did we fail to cultivate blessings ourselves, but we also taught others not to cultivate them."

Whenever people see others doing good and accumulating virtue, they mock and ridicule them. Yet when they see others doing evil and committing crimes, they secretly rejoice. Such vile conduct can cause people to fall into an evil realm.

A hungry ghost—a spirit in Buddhism who suffers because of greed in a previous life—once met the Venerable Ānanda, a disciple of the Buddha, in the city of Kapilavastu. The ghost called himself Mianran and warned Ānanda, “In three days, you too will die and fall into the realm of hungry ghosts.” Ānanda asked how he might be saved. Mianran replied, “Only by giving food to us so that we are satisfied can you escape this calamity.”

Ānanda sought the Buddha’s help. The Buddha instructed him: “Place food in a clean vessel, recite a dhāraṇī—a mantra believed to have special power—seven times, then go outdoors and snap your fingers seven times as you offer it to the hungry ghosts. This will both release them from their suffering and extend your life.” The mantra the Buddha taught was: “Namo sarva tathāgata avalokite, om sambhara sambhara hum.” Ānanda followed these instructions, and the calamity was indeed averted.

When the karmic retribution binding hungry ghosts has run its course, their consciousness and deluded thoughts fade away. They are then reborn as animals to repay debts incurred in previous lives. Different kinds of ghosts are reborn as different animals:

• Ghosts of strange creatures are reborn as owls and other birds of prey.
• Wind-drought ghosts, which cause drought, often become strange beasts that foretell calamity.
• Animal spirits are often reborn as foxes.
• Ghosts associated with poisonous magic are mostly reborn as venomous insects.
• Ghosts that spread disease often become parasites.
• Ghosts sustained by Qi often become carrion eaters.
• Hidden, elusive ghosts are often reborn as animals used in mourning rites.
• Harmonizing spirits often become creatures that respond to the seasons.
• Spiritually perceptive ghosts often become omens that foretell good or ill fortune.
• Ghosts attached to human beings often become ordinary animals after those people die.

These are all cases in which beings, tormented by the fires of karma, repay old debts by being reborn as animals. In truth, such suffering arises from the karma created by one’s own deluded thoughts and actions. If one awakens to the wisdom of bodhi, one will understand that these karmic entanglements are illusory. The scripture also says that all beings in the animal realm are repaying karmic debts incurred in previous lives.

This scripture elucidates the principle of karmic retribution. If someone fails to repay a debt, they will be reborn as the creditor in their next life to reclaim what is owed. When debtors are reborn as humans, their former creditors will in turn pursue them for the remaining dues.

If the debtor possesses accumulated merit (referring to virtuous deeds from past lives), they may retain human form to repay the debt; without such merit, they will be reborn as livestock to settle their obligations. Understand that debts are repaid either through material wealth or physical labor until fully discharged. If during repayment one kills the creditor or consumes their flesh, this enmity will perpetuate across countless kalpas (a Buddhist term denoting immense time spans), locked in an endless cycle of mutual vengeance like a revolving wheel, with no possibility of cessation.

Two illustrative cases are given: a man named Li Liulang, who engaged in usury (charging exorbitant interest), was reborn as a dog after death; another named Gong Gao, habitually abusive in speech, likewise assumed canine form in his next existence.

The concluding verse summarizes: When unvirtuous deeds accumulate, calamity inevitably follows. Evil develops gradually, yet its consequences prove inescapable. History bears witness—Luan Yan (a tyrannical official of the Spring and Autumn period) brought annihilation upon his entire clan through cruelty, just as the Qin dynasty collapsed under its own draconian laws (with Ziying, its final ruler, surrendering in a plain carriage signaling defeat). Retribution's duality mirrors reality itself—neither good nor evil escapes its exact recompense.

(Note: Using debt as metaphor, this scripture underscores Daoism's view that actions generate corresponding effects—virtue begets blessings, vice invites misfortune—with karmic consequences manifesting either in this life or future incarnations.)