Brother Loong-hwa Kra-yi, First Dragon Monk of Kaisen
"Gentle Seeker, no mortal knows the true nature of the Cosmic Dragon's utuma, but each part of creation partakes of it, and this is death. As the Sage tells us,
"'Spring passes, and autumn fades.
"'Mountain crumbles, and seas go dry.
"'Fluttering mayfly perishes, and mortal flesh expires.
"'Shifting in the coils of the Dragon.
"Death, the little utuma, allows each of us to pass in part or whole to Summerland Heaven, pursuing our reunification with Un Lo. Death is nothing to fear but is the portal of Liberation.
"Blessings be upon you."
Old Dog, Storyteller in Sha Ming
"Ayi! Ayi! Ayi! Draw near to hear a tale of wonder, for here is why we die. Yes, listen and know the secret of mortality.
"Yes, yes, it came to pass in the Era of the Peace of the World that the progeny of lusty Ebe, both human and monstrous, beast and demon, spread over the land, crowding and devouring. People were hungry and had no food. People were broken and had no relief. Anger and violence naturally followed, for so we always have been by nature.
"A peasant named Shui, who lived by the Great Water, was as angry as anyone, and he grew angrier and angrier and angrier. His neighbors angered him. His children angered him. His wife angered him. He fumed and raged.
"Stomping up and down by the lakeshore, he struck out at a pestering fly, crying out, 'By the Great Dragon, can I have no relief!' The bug was smashed dead on Shui's hand. He looked in wonder and then took up his bamboo stick and began to smack every insect he could see. His family and neighbors hid in fear, for no one had ever seen death before.
"Shui went in search of the cause of so many problems, Grandfather Ebe. He cut his way across the land, for his bamboo had broken, forming a sharp edge. By the time he found Lord Ebe, the blade had turned to iron.
"Ebe sat alone under a tall tree, for he also no longer found comfort in his own home. He was playing Sticks and Stones with himself. Pursued by angry spirits, Shui stood opposite his elder, and they played. Shui won by the smallest possible margin, and Ebe died.
"Lord Shui continued his work with the blessing of Heaven, giving comfort to the weary and gifting the living with the world we have today. He has never spoken since his Great Oath, but we see his work everywhere.
"Do not fear death, for it ends suffering, makes way for your blessed descendants, may they by myriad, and transports you to Summerland Heaven, where you can rest with the dragons.
"Blessings on all of you for a long life, and may you remember this old man with your coins!"
Powered by hypermail