On the Inextinguishable Errors Regarding the Soul
Someone asked on Weibo about the statement in my previous article <<On the Origin of Zhong Sheng Ji — Discussing the Function of Soul Bottles and the Technique of Covering the Soul>>, which mentioned the dissipation of the soul and spirit. Then someone asked what the concept of the immortality of the soul in religion means.
This is a very good question. Since I haven't been able to find a suitable topic to write about for a long time, and I have done some research on this issue, I will discuss it here.
Most importantly, we must first understand what the definition of the soul is. Many disagreements in understanding stem from here. There have been many debates throughout history. The most crucial premise is that the definition of the soul is very ambiguous.
The Great Dai Li explicitly states: "The essence of Yang is called Shen (Spirit), and the essence of Yin is called Ling (Spirit/Soul)." Therefore, the character 'Ling' refers specifically to the Yin aspect. So, 'soul' (Ling Hun) refers to the Yin soul. This is the most orthodox original meaning.
Zhu Xi's textual research on Hun and Po is as follows:
Someone asked about the meaning of Hun and Po. He replied: Zichan said, when an object is born and transforms, it is called Po. Once Po is born, the Yang aspect is called Hun. Confucius said: Qi is the flourishing state of Shen. Po is the flourishing state of Gui (Ghost). Zheng's commentary states: The inhalation and exhalation of Qi is Qi. The clarity of the eyes and ears is Po, while Qi is referred to as Hun. The Huainanzi states: The Qi of Heaven is Hun, and the Qi of Earth is Po. Gao You's commentary states: Hun is the Yang Shen of humans. Po is the Yin Shen of humans. These several explanations detail the meaning of Hun and Po. I have deduced that 'when an object is born and transforms' refers to the initial reception of form, the gathering of essence and blood, within which there is a spiritual entity named Po. Once Po is born, there is warmth, and within it there is a divine entity named Shen. When these two combine, then a substance exists, as stated in the Yijing: "Essence and Qi form the object." When it dissipates, Hun wanders to become Shen, and Po descends to become Gui. Commentators who do not examine this but rely solely on the commentary of Zuo Zhuan, dividing Shen and Ling into Yin and Yang, although it may seem reasonable, is incorrect when they define the moving aspect of inhalation and exhalation as Po. Their statement that 'Ling attaches to form, Shen attaches to Qi' seems close to the truth. However, the subsequent division they make is not without error. Their claim that Po has less consciousness while Hun has more is also incorrect; there is only a difference in their functions of operation and storage.
In other words, 'soul' actually refers to the Yin soul, and the alias for Yin soul is Po. 'Shen Ling' is not a compound word but two separate characters: the Yang aspect is Shen, and the Yin aspect is Po. Seeing this, one should begin to understand the concept of Yang Shen in Daoist theory. Many worldly people confuse the clear concept by calling Yin Ling 'Yin Shen'.
In folklore, because people cannot distinguish the accurate concept of the soul, many misunderstandings have arisen. The root of these misunderstandings often stems from the misleading influence of novels or TV dramas.
Once, I took a Daoist friend from Maoshan to handle some business. This friend came from a very remote small place, so naturally, his experience was somewhat lacking, and he was not skilled in speaking. It was originally a simple matter of treating evil, but he said he would handle it. Enthusiastically, he took out a large pile of straw figures from his backpack and told the host to adjust the person's soul and spirit, bringing out the Yin spirits on the person's body. He was very excited and said that any other problems people had could also be solved by adjusting their soul and spirit. He then proactively asked for their birth dates. He did not notice that the other people's faces had turned green upon seeing the straw figures, because in folklore, straw figures are generally used for casting evil spells. Seeing them naturally makes people suspicious.
I have digressed. Let's return to the main topic.
In later generations, because the original definition was not followed, and with the entry of Buddhism, which spread widely, it caused an even more blurred influence on the definition of the soul, resulting in increasing confusion. Why do I say that Buddhism caused more confusion? This starts from the definition and concept of the soul in Buddhism.
Because, in a strict sense, Buddhism does not have the concept of the soul in the traditional Chinese sense!!! Because the traditional meaning refers to the Yin Ling (Yin Spirit) part, while humans also have the Yang Shen (Yang Spirit) part. However, in Buddhist practice, this distinction is not made. This is a very important premise.
Regarding this concept, it starts from ancient Hinduism. The concept of the soul in Buddhism initially followed the concepts of Hinduism, and then internally divided into many sects. Because too many people in later generations elaborated on the original meaning and absorbed Chinese culture, the concepts in Buddhism became even more ambiguous.
The relatively accepted view in Hinduism is that when a person dies, the soul also dies. Only the unconscious seed carries karma and continuously cycles, forming past and future lives (It is worth noting that many Buddhists in China actually believe in this school of theory rather than true Buddhist theory). At the same time, after death and before entering reincarnation, this transitional state is called the 'Intermediate State' (Zhong Yin Shen), which can be equated to the Yin Ling state.
Therefore, in Hinduism, there is actually no saying that the soul does not disappear. After the soul dissipates, only a seed remains. This seed is the collection of 'I' enveloped by karma, entering the next reincarnation. I just mentioned Hinduism. So, in Buddhism, what is the true original meaning?
This needs to be divided into the two major streams of Buddhism: the Southern Theravada and the Northern Mahayana Buddhism. In China, it is Northern Mahayana Buddhism. The Southern Theravada does not acknowledge the Intermediate State. They believe that reincarnation happens instantly upon death, and there is no transitional period. From this, it can be seen that theoretically, Thailand, which belongs to the Southern Theravada, should not acknowledge beliefs regarding the generation of souls or ghosts. Yet many temples in Thailand engage in various chaotic things like Guman Tong. In fact, these violate the doctrines of the Southern Theravada.
Then let's talk about Northern Mahayana Buddhism. Influenced deeply by Chinese culture, it naturally accepts the Intermediate State easily. However, an important problem arises: in the original doctrines of Buddhism, reincarnation cannot have a subject. This is key. Since there cannot be a subject, there cannot be a substantial thing. Therefore, the concept of the seed circulating in reincarnation is considered wrong in Buddhism because there is no seed at all.
This contradiction is difficult to reconcile. To reconcile this contradiction, Buddhism is most famous for proposing the Alaya-vijnana (Storehouse Consciousness). It should be noted that in the practice of Buddhist Esotericism, the Alaya-vijnana is not acknowledged, because Esotericism only recognizes six consciousnesses, without the later added Seventh and Eighth consciousnesses of the Yogacara school.
Actually, the concept of Alaya-vijnana is very ambiguous. Here, I will first mention the explanation that can be used to reconcile the contradiction, i.e., the explanation belonging to the Storehouse Consciousness: The Alaya-vijnana itself is not a thing with a subject; it is only a virtual name. Karma flows in the Alaya-vijnana and then reincarnates, bringing the karma into the next life.
Since the Alaya-vijnana is neither a container nor a definite subject, why can it bring karma to the next life? Many people make a mistake in understanding here, thinking that karma must have something to hold it to circulate to the next life. Actually, that is not what it means.
The Alaya-vijnana here refers to a naming for the state formed when karma spontaneously combines due to causes and conditions. This place is a bit convoluted. Let me give an example: Take a pile of chess pieces, number them all, scatter them randomly on a chessboard, then casually grab a handful, and pour all the pieces from the original chessboard onto another chessboard. Then, casually grab a handful again in roughly the same positions on this chessboard, and throw them onto a new chessboard. Then you will find that although it was a casual grab, the pieces on the new chessboard are still from the pieces initially grabbed. There is always a common part among them. What causes this common part to go to the new chessboard is their combination of causes and conditions. The concept that accommodates this structural relationship and combination of causes and conditions is called Alaya-vijnana.
This is only a metaphor. To truly recognize Alaya-vijnana is not so simple; it is just used in this way to illustrate that it is a purely conceptual thing, not a concept that truly exists. Thus, through this concept, a bridge is established between non-existence and existence, generating a conceptual collection without needing a substantial subject.
As for other explanations of Alaya-vijnana, they do not help much in reconciling this contradiction. For example, the Zhenxin Pai Shelun School believes that Alaya-vijnana is the 'Anavada-vijnana', which is the pure original nature of the mind realized by Buddhas after cutting off all habits. This is actually equivalent to saying nothing. There are also those who bring in the Ninth Consciousness, i.e., Vipaka-vijnana (Resultant Consciousness). These have become too complicated, deviating from the original purpose of solving theoretical problems.
Why say so much nonsense about Alaya-vijnana? Because here, the Intermediate State in Northern Mahayana Buddhism is equivalent to the concept of the soul. It is also not an eternal state, and the concept of the immortality of the soul does not exist. Moreover, in Buddhist theory, the key point to note is that it is not the soul that reincarnates.
Additionally, although an explanation to reconcile the contradiction is needed, ordinary people generally cannot think of so much, so sometimes it can be ignored. The saying of Alaya-vijnana is not acknowledged by all Northern Mahayana Buddhist schools. For example, if we go by the Buddhist Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (Dazhidulun), the Buddha said there are six consciousnesses. All dharmas perceived by the consciousness are impermanent. If there were a 'Self-dharma', there should be a Seventh Consciousness to identify it, but since there is no Seventh Consciousness, there is no Self. So there is no Seventh Consciousness at all, and therefore no Eighth Consciousness. Additionally, if we go by the Heart Sutra, the five aggregates are empty. The five aggregates are Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness, which includes Consciousness. So even Consciousness itself should arise from the combination of causes and conditions of karma. This leads the logic back around, resulting in an explanation with no beginning and no end.
So how does Daoism recognize the concept of the soul? In orthodox Daoist law, it is called 'Ghost dies to become Jian'. The soul also dies; there is no state of immortality. However, this state after the soul dies is called Jian.
Speaking of this, many people will feel a sense of fear. Since when a person dies, everything is gone, does that mean one can do whatever one wants while alive? If such a misunderstanding arises, it is a huge cognitive error, because besides the Yin Ling, humans also have the Yang Shen!
The Daoist Three Souls and Seven Poms involve many internal secrets. Explaining them is too vast, and it involves methods applicable in reality. After a brief discussion, I will stop here and will not continue this topic in the future.