1. The ghost law of early Taoism.
The laws of Taoism are mainly based on the law, which is mainly used to regulate the behavior of believers and gods. In the Han Dynasty Taiping Sutra, it is mentioned that people who misbehave may be punished by "heaven" or ghosts. However, early Taoist laws were mainly aimed at gods and Taoist believers, and there were no explicit regulations for the punishment of ghosts. It was not until the existing "Shangqing Bone Marrow Lingwen Ghost Law" that the punishment regulations for ghosts and ghosts that caused disaster to the world were included for the first time.
Specifically, the Shangqing Bone Marrow Lingwen Ghost Law stipulates a series of punishments for ghosts, such as exile for a thousand miles, extermination, and imprisonment. These regulations clearly stipulate that the behavior of ghosts will be punished accordingly if they involve crimes such as harming human life. These regulations are known as "ghost laws".
Although there is also a classic called "The Law of Young Female Ghosts" in the early Shoichi classics, it does not include regulations for punishing ghosts. This leads us to wonder if the Law of Young Ghosts ever contained such laws, although the section "Three turns of the Heavens" hints at the possible existence of a punishment law for ghosts. The absence of this information suggests that although the concept of "ghost law" appeared in the early Zhengyi classics, the specific regulations have been lost.
2. The "Ghost Law" and the Righteous School's exorcism spells.
The "law of ghosts" first appeared in the legal scriptures of the Zhengyi sect, and is closely related to the belief of the righteous sect that focuses on exorcising evil spirits and eliminating demons. When performing exorcism spells, the Shoyi priests often use the laws and regulations laid down in the "Demon Law".
For example, the Tang Dynasty's "Golden Lock Liuzhu Yin" contains the exorcism spells of the Zhengyi school, and clearly stipulates the idea of dealing with evil ghosts and monsters according to the law. This is embodied in the extermination of vicious people and demons, whether it is human beings or dragons and ghosts, they must be exterminated according to the law. Other Zhengyi classics of the Tang Dynasty, such as the Taishang Laojun Chrysostom Jade Rules, also contain regulations on the punishment of ghosts, and these "ghost laws" are considered to be part of the Zhengyi sect's exorcism spells.
Yuan Miaozong mentioned in "The True Secret of Taishang Helping the Country and Saving the People" that "Shangqing Bone Marrow Lingwen Ghost Law" was inherited from Ye Fashan in the Tang Dynasty. Ye Fashan was a Taoist priest in the early Tang Dynasty, and his spells contained the elements of "the law of the three or five alliances, and the succubus and demons". This further confirms that the "Demon Law" is closely related to the exorcism spells of the Zhengyi sect.
3. The "Ghost Law" and the Zhengyi "Examination and Calling" Law.
The "Summoning" spell is a method often used by the Zhengyi faction in exorcism spells. The spell requires the ghosts and gods to be tortured and examined to judge their merits and demerits. Although the explicit record of this spell appeared in the Tang Dynasty, the term "kao" or "kaozhao" existed during the time of the Han Heavenly Master. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, laws similar to the "ghost law" had already appeared in the Zhengyi faction.
The process of summoning spells includes setting up altars, sending gods to catch ghosts, interrogating and judging, and finally beheading. This process mimics the arrest, trial, and punishment of criminals in the human world, emphasizing the importance of using the "law of ghosts" in trials to punish evil spirits.
Although it was not until the Tang Dynasty that the Zhengyi faction clearly recorded the process of "testing and summoning" spells, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Zhengyi faction already had a complete set of exorcism spell procedures. During this period, when dealing with ghosts, in addition to arresting them, they also had to judge and punish them, which is exactly what the "ghost law" embodies.
Epilogue. The Taoist "ghost law" has deep historical roots as a norm and punishment for ghost behavior. It is embodied in the canon of the law of the righteous sect and is closely associated with the exorcism spell and the "summoning" spell. Although some of these regulations have been lost throughout history, their existence provides us with a glimpse into how the paranormal was understood and dealt with in ancient Taoism.
The article exhaustively describes the "ghost law" in Taoism and its application in the exorcism spells of the early Zhengyi sect. This topic provoked me to think about the intersection of ancient religions and legal systems, and the evolution of the way we understand and deal with paranormal phenomena.
First of all, the article provides an in-depth study of the historical background and development of Taoist law. It is mentioned that in the Taiping Sutra of the Han Dynasty, human misconduct could be punished by gods or ghosts, thus triggering reflections on the law. The article also introduces that although the concept of "ghost law" exists in the early Zhengyi classics, the relevant regulations have been lost, and only exist in the Shangqing Bone Marrow Lingwen Ghost Law, which provides readers with a glimpse of the missing historical documents.
Secondly, the relationship between the "ghost law" and the exorcism spells of the Zhengyi school is deeply analyzed. The text emphasizes the importance of the Zhengyi sect in the process of exorcizing evil spirits, and incorporates the "ghost law" as a kind of law into the spells of the righteous faction. This got me thinking about how religion affects the legal system. How religious laws and regulations penetrate into the norms of social behavior, as well as their practical application in social governance, are all thought-provoking questions.
In addition, the article details the "Summoning" spell, which is a common method in the exorcism spells of the Zhengyi faction. Through the torture of the ghosts and gods, the Zhengyi faction tried to judge their merits and demerits. This reminds me of trial procedures in the modern legal system, and the similarities between the two intrigued me. This imitation of human trial procedures not only reflects the pursuit of the rule of law, but also reveals an attempt to deal rationally with the paranormal.
Finally, the essay concludes with a review of the "Ghost Law", emphasizing its historical origins in the Zhengyi school and its importance for understanding ancient Taoism. This kind of historical excavation and review helps us better understand the ways in which ancient societies explored and responded to paranormal phenomena.
Taken together, this article not only presents an in-depth study of the "ghost law", but also provokes readers to think about the relationship between ancient law, religion and society. Through the analysis of Taoist law, we can better understand the complexity of ancient cultures' cognition of the supernatural, as well as human efforts to explore and regulate in the face of the unknown.
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