The fire in the heart (heart belongs to the element fire)
causes destruction. The chariot fire also causes destruction."
This attitude of mercy has been extended to human beings. There are
numerous tracts against the drowning of little girls in those regions
where this custom is prevalent. One tells the following story:
In the province of Kwangtung there lived a Mrs. Chang who daily burned
incense and repeated Buddha's name. One day she and her husband died.
Much to their surprise and consternation Yama (the potentate of hell)
decided that Mr. Chang must become a pig and Mrs. Chang a dog. Mrs.
Chang accordingly went to Yama and said, "During life we honored Buddha
and so why should we become animals after death?" Yama said, "What use
is it to honor Buddha? During life you drowned three girls whom I sent
into life. People with the face of a man and the heart of a beast,
should they not be punished?" The husband accordingly took on a pig's
skin and the wife a dog's. Then by a dream they revealed to their
brother Chang number two that, although they repeated Buddha's name,
they were not permitted to be reborn as men, because they had drowned
little girls.
Perhaps the extent of this spirit, of mercy and its possibilities may be
illustrated by the reverence for the ox. While there is a great deal of
cruelty in China to animals and men, it is rarely that one sees an ox
abused. Up to the advent of the foreigner an ox was not killed for meat.
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