Offending Heaven

There are quite a number of translators, sinologists and/or scholars of Ancient Chinese Philosophy who apparently do not quite understand or believe in its concept of a moral Heaven. Similar with some renowned Chinese philosophers of old, there is nothing actually wrong for being skeptical that Heaven can or will act on behalf of the good.

As long as these literati do not disparage the wise and the good in their writings, thesis, or in their translations on ancient Chinese philosophy subjects, they would not have offended against Heaven. Believe it or not, pleading ignorance that it is an offence to denigrate the wise and the good provide no excuse for offending Heaven.

Since whatever the sinologists, scholars and translators have written and/or have translated could sway their readers or students to their way of thought or bias. Even if they have had emulated past or present peers and continue to propagate their disparagements of the wise and of the good, it does not necessarily mean that Heaven will not take action on them. The same is applicable to their readers or followers. Therefore it could be to their benefit to take particular note of that.

Often without doing the necessary homework, miscreants have had casted aspersions on Richard Wilhelm - whom most Yijing aficionados consider good – and his friend, the renowned Carl Jung - whom many in the world still consider wise - for their respective translation of the Secret of the Golden Flower and commentary thereof.

They accuse Wilhelm of not crediting sources for the pictures therein and of translating a grossly corrupted text, while Jung is accused of dissuading Westerners from practising the teachings in this Daoist text.

When the so-called meditation masters in the West who have written several books on neidan or its related meditation do not really know about the backward flow method described in the Daoist text. How could the particular miscreants - which include the renowned sinologist, Joseph Needham, and the prolific translator of Daoist texts, Thomas Cleary, - know that self taught students cannot learn the ancient Circulation of the Light from Wilhelm’s translation?

Could there be a possibility, no matter how remote, that a self-taught right person for Tao has learned the Circulation of the Light via the backward flow meditation indicated in the Wilhelm translation, and has progressed further from there?

Instead of my defending the integrity of Wilhelm and Jung, their ardent followers can do their own homework and do what is best for the duo. They can also examine for themselves if Heaven will take or has taken its usual course of action. (See later)

Quoting Confucius and Laozi respectively for the esoteric and for those who should know better:

“He who offends against heaven has none to whom he can pray”.

“The Way of Heaven is impartial; it is on the side of the good.”

If we know what to look for and investigate into those who had had disparaged ancient sages, the wise and the good in their writings or in published comments, we could find that some of the more renowned literati had been punished. The severity of such punishments depends on the gravity of each offending.

Of course, skeptical readers and the miscreants can totally disregard this, thinking this is just another rambling by a superstitious old Chinaman – since how would he know. But could he really know?

Regular readers of the blog may count themselves fortunate to have witnessed the unfolding of several phenomena – global omens, and live case studies of Yijing prognostications - related to the Book of Changes blogged before their actual occurrences over the past eight years.

Probably for this year’s gift in 2013, they could also witness the moral will of Heaven, an ancient truth. A punishment by Heaven has already occurred last year but I did not discuss it, since it took place before my article on ‘Getting to know Heaven’.

This time, the scene has already been set, let’s just wait for the probable feedbacks, if any, in due time (within months). Then the entire story will be told.

With the live feedbacks, this time round, regular readers can bear witness to the true indication by the three great ancient sages – Laozi, Confucius, and the Buddha – on what Heaven does to protect the good and/or the wise.

Let’s also see if Heaven continues to count Allan Lian amongst the good.

Cheerio!