Inthemeantime, .WhenIwas11IwasonedayrereadingaloudTheElementaryLessonofChuHsi, : “Whenthebodyhasdecayed, , Burning, Pounding, andGrinding, whereonarethesetobeinflicted?” ThissoundedlikegoodreasoningandIbegantodoubttheideaofjudgmentafterdeath.
Shortlyafterward, IwasreadingSsu-maKuang’, whichwasthenpatronizingMahāyānaBuddhism.FanChen’sviewwassummedupbySsu-maKuanginthesewords: “Thebodyisthematerialbasisofthespirit, ?”
ThiswasmorethoroughreasoningthanSsu-maKuang’sviewthatthespiritfadesawaywhenthebodyhasdecayed, : “AlthoughthewholeCourtandcountrywereagainsthim, noonesucceededinrefutinghim.”
Inthesamepassage, FanChenwasquotedasbeingopposedtotheBuddhistdoctrineofKarma, -ling, whosaidtohim: “IfyoudonotbelieveinKarma, howcanyouexplainthedifferentstatesofwealthandpoverty, ofhonorandlowliness?” FanChenreplied: “, ofwhisomearecaughtbythescreensandscatteredonthebeautifullydecoratedmatsandcushions, , andI， yourhumbleservant, , butwhereithecausalchain?”
, .
ButFanChen’, asaboyof11， ’sson, .
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Butthismentalcrisiswasnotwithoutitscomicconsequencesinmyearlylife.DuringtheNewYearFestivalof1903， Ipaidavisittomyeldestsister, , : “’sthrowtheseimagesintothemudpool.” Mychildishiconoclasmgreatlyhorrifiedmycompanions, whopersuadedmetomoveonwithouttroublingthealreadytotteringdeities.
ItwasthedayoftheLanternFestival （thefifteenthofthefirsmonth）.Whenwearrived, , whensupperwasserved, , .
