Reports of Abbot Dashan and Father Du Jarric essays

Reports of Abbot Dashan and Father Du Jarric essays A number of kings may have ruled in 17th century Asia, yet they differed significantly in their treatment of citizens and captives. Two historic recordsone written by the influential Chinese Buddhist Abbot Shilian Dashan about self-proclaimed King Minh Vuong in 1695, and the second compiled by Father Pierre Du Jarric during the early 1600s on Akbar or Great Mogulclearly demonstrated how varied these kingdoms could be. In 1695 King Minh Vuong invited Abbot Dashan to his Vietnamese Kingdom of Dang Trong, or what the Europeans called "Cochinchina," to establish the principles of the school of Zen Buddhism. After an arduous voyage, made worse by the claustrophobic quarters shared with merchants and traders, the multi-storied vessel arrived at its destination. It did not take long for the abbot to recognize that not all was peaceful and abundant in this land. Several old men, unkempt and with blackened teeth, came up to the boat as soon as it arrived. However, they were fearful and did not come aboard. This was the responsibility of the king's officers only. Later, much to the abbot's embarrassment and uneasiness, ten marines physically carried him off the ship. They headed to the Royal Inspectorate's war vessel, which was rich with incense, gold boxes and other adornments. Meanwhile, King Minh Vuong stayed in his palace. He would wait for the abbot to come to him, rather than the The next day, Abbot Dashan discovered why he only saw old men, women and children in the villages. Any able-bodied man over 16 had to leave his family behind until the age of 60. All younger males in good health were required to be soldiers in the king's army and do whatever he demanded. They fought whenever there was a war and worked for the state in other capacities in times of peace. For example, King Minh Vuong sent 1,000 soldiers to build Dashan's new house. Many famil...