Ｇuides and sorcerers

 

Chu Sanxing and Agudengba arrived in the south of Myanmar, which was originally an ancient country with a Pali name of "Ramanatisha", located between the Salween River and the Xichang River Basin. "Ramanatisha" is the place where Buddhism was first introduced to Myanmar.

Chu Sanxing said: A long time ago, a group of businessmen who were relatives of each other wanted to cross the sea to do business, but they had to ask a guide to lead the way to the other side. So they hired a local guide to go on the road together.

The guide is a Buddhist. The guide said: The history of Buddhism in Myanmar may have lasted for more than two thousand years. Around 228 BC, King Asoka sent two monks, Suna and Uttara, to the Suvarnabhumi area of Myanmar to promote Buddhism. This was the earliest trace of Buddhism in Myanmar.

Along the way, the guide introduced the history of Buddhism in Myanmar to the businessmen. Theravada Buddhism is the mainstream in Myanmar, and the Tantric Ali Sect was also popular in history. Myanmar is the origin of Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia, and is the center of two modern Theravada Buddhism. The place where Buddhist gatherings are held. Buddhist believers account for the highest proportion of Myanmar's population, about 85%-90%, and are concentrated among the Burmese, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, Karen, Chinese, and Zo ethnic groups. Myanmar is also a country where monks account for a very high proportion of the population and economic expenditure in the field of Buddhism. Monks have a high social status in Myanmar.

At this time, they saw a temple on the road, but the temple was very dilapidated. Theravada Buddhist culture has long been an integral part of Myanmar culture, even its core. But at the same time, some features of primitive witchcraft and Hinduism are also mixed into Myanmar's Buddhist tradition and spread in remote areas, such as the Na worship of native beliefs and the Naga dragon worship of Hinduism.

There is no monk in the very dilapidated temple, and the person in charge of the dilapidated temple is an old sorcerer.

The guide met the sorcerer and told the sorcerer very piously that he was a Buddhist. I don't know why there were no monks in this temple?

The sorcerer did not want to answer the guide's questions. He seemed to hate Buddhism.

But the sorcerer said to the businessmen: This is a dangerous place. It turns out that the monks in this temple have done many evil things and offended the snake king, who caused a flood and flooded the temple. Later, the local people changed the temple into a snake temple, but they had to sacrifice living people to the snake king to ensure safety.

The businessmen looked at each other. do not know what to do?

The sorcerer said to the businessmen: If someone passes by here and does not sacrifice a living person to the snake king, he will be in great trouble after leaving this place.

The guide heard what the sorcerer said and didn't take it seriously. He left the temple with the group of merchants.

But along the way, the businessmen were secretly discussing, we are all relatives, how can we kill our own people as sacrifices to the snake king? Do we believe in Buddhism or sorcerers?

One of the businessmen said: We can believe it or not. Believe, maybe you can avoid disaster. If you don’t believe it, what should you do if you encounter a disaster?

In the end, the merchants chose to kill the guide.

So the merchants took their guides to worship the Queen of Heaven, and set out on the road. However, they lost their way to the ferry, and eventually they were all trapped and died in the wilderness.

Chu Sanxing asked Agudengba: "How do you view this matter?"

Agudengpa said: If people want to deepen their understanding of Buddhism and understand the true meaning of life, they should use spiritual practice and practice of good Dharma as their guide. If you lose your guide and deviate from the requirements of good deeds, you can only wander on the reincarnation road of life and death, and you will never be able to escape. The unscrupulous businessmen in the story used other people's lives as sacrifices because of their personal relationships, and ultimately could not escape their bad luck.

Chu Sanxing sang a song "Misfortune":

 

If you want to cross the sea, you must keep your guide.

To move toward liberation and reach the other shore,

You have to sacrifice worldly emotions,

There is also the confusion of selfish interests.

 

Buddhists need to become monks and practice Buddhism;

Abandoning parents and family ties,

Therefore, Buddhism believes in

It conflicts with the concept of filial piety.

 

Confucianism has always preached family affection,

It's all based on blood relationship,

The husband is noble, the wife is prosperous, and the blessings extend to the descendants;

If you get promoted and get rich, you will not recognize your relatives.

 

For the benefit of oneself, one family and one clan,

The king, his ministers and the powerful are all working together in treacherous ways.

The sorcerers' spells work for the emperor,

Fish and meat, common people all belong to the world.