“Now I make ready to go downstream to the Abode of Light, that wisdom and Truth may be carried to the appointed place under the everlasting stars and there made secure to men in generations yet to grow up in the Light. They will be seen in generations to come.

“I shall go on the Wings of the Sun before the retinue of the Breaker of Heads. I am one acknowledged as being pure of hands and shall be with those who serve under the head of The Great One.

“My name, henceforth, shall be Hemnetar, and I shall not eat of fish or beans until I come to the place appointed to fit my station. I shall wear linen, and my sandals shall be made of grass, so that none shall perceive my greatness. I will hide great things within my heart, and a bridle will ever hold my tongue in check.

“I shall pray among the empty-hearted, but my prayers will not be as theirs but as those offered in the days of our fathers, who sat enfolded in silence two hours beforehand. Now, the marks are changed by the hypocrisy of men.

“With me shall go Methemun, my brother, but Nifanethrith shall remain and provide for our father in faith. We shall be with he, whom men call Nonpeka for his foolishness in his father’s abode. Kenamun shall be with us as chief overseer.

“Behind us, we leave many in sorrow, but our stature shall not diminish, for greater things are always believed of those who are distant.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MAN:29:12-17)

Downstream to the Abode of Light

It is not clear where this person is when he says he will go downstream to the Abode of Light. In the previous section of this chapter, however, we saw that they headed north from Egypt, probably to Greece. We can assume, therefore, that he is now in Greece, and when he heads downstream to the Abode of Light, he is either talking about a place where a new mystery school has been established or a place that is considered holy by the people in the area. He adds that he goes there so that Wisdom and Truth may be carried to the “appointed place,” which we can assume is the same place he called the Abode of Light. A winged Sun was a common symbol in ancient Egypt for the Spiritual Sun.

I Will Hide Great Things

The author says that he will dress like a poor person to hide his “greatness”. He adds that he will hide great things within his heart. As most of us already know, the teachers of ancient Mystery Schools kept the teachings secret from the general public and taught them to students only a little at a time so as not to overwhelm them.

Pray Among the Empty Hearted

The empty-hearted are those who have made no effort to awaken and develop their spiritual faculties. The prayers of the spiritual person are different than those of materialists. Materialists will pray to ask for material wealth of one sort or another. The farmer might pray for successful crops. The carpenter for finding good quality wood. The spiritual person prays for the development of his spirit and soul, and for the world to become a world of Light, as God intended it to be.

We Leave Many in Sorrow

Even today, people who take the path of spiritual development may find themselves being estranged from friends and family, even without relocating to a new place. Unfortunately, this is often necessary since it is unusual for several members of the same family to be among The Chosen. But we can take solace in knowing that as we advance and help others to do the same, those who are not ready now will become ready at a later time.

“I am Kison, son of Nesubot and Nektorab, a citizen of Hakarnak. I am he, who brought the Sacred Writings from the swamplands and gathered men together, who are the Sons of Light.

“Now the wisdom of olden times is replanted in the land, though it sits without in the courtyard. Yet among those behind the pillars, many know who among them sees clearly. Great secrets are hidden deeply, but they are not unknown, and the day will come when the soil will give up its treasures.

“I am not one who takes his ear in his hand when darkness clouds his heart. I came from out of the land of security to a place, where all men would raise knives against me, were their eyes opened.

“In baskets of barley, on the backs of asses, came the Sacred Writings containing words to guide the wise and knowledge to dispel the powers of darkness. No magic could prevail against the superior spells I carried, and the treasures remained unseen.

“Men sit beneath the trees and nod their heads solemnly and roll out long books to read things that evaporate in the air. I deride not the books, but one blow of the sword can destroy ten thousand strokes of the pen.

“Those in high places persecute us, not because of the whole of the writings, for much is common to all, but because we seek to change the established order of things. We seek to change the ever present state of affairs.

“Because, too, we have a God who is not the holder of property or a God of the rich and powerful. Who benefits from the riches and estates of other gods? The gods or their priests? Would they who benefit, therefore, welcome the words of God? Such is not the nature of men, and we have the nigh impossible task of changing the natures of men.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (Man:29:1-6)

Sacred Writings from the Swamp Lands

We don’t know what particular area Kison is calling swamp lands, but we know this part of the Kolbrin Bible was written by priests of ancient Egypt. These are obviously not just average priests, but priests of the ancient Mystery Schools that existed in Egypt.

Gathered Together People of Light

What Kison means by this is that those who left Egypt and headed to lands to the North (probably Greece) where they gathered together people of Light to study the sacred teachings. When he says “Sons of Light,” we must remember that until recently, this could refer to both men and women. Some of the ancient schools accepted both men and women, while others accepted only men. It is not clear which was true of these new schools established in Greece.

Sits in the Courtyard

At first, the teachers who left Egypt had to teach in the open in Greece. But only a limited number of the teachings were revealed in public. As their popularity grew, they began to establish new Mystery Schools where carefully selected students could study the full Teachings of Light.

A Place Where Men Would Raise Knives

The Sacred books had to be carefully carried into Greece, hidden in baskets of barley so they would not be seen by those of certain religions who would have turned against these Egyptian priests if they knew what they were carrying into their land. It should be noted that while some teachings were in the books, they were often written in allegory so the uninitiated could not understand them. In addition, the most important teachings were never written down, but passed on only verbally.

Persecuted

These teachers were persecuted by the government because they sought to change the order of things, much as do spiritual people today. While governments, even today, say that it is allowed to kill other people under certain conditions, or when the government declares war on them, spiritual people knew that was not true. When God said that we should not kill, he did not make exceptions. They were also persecuted because most spiritual teachers taught that individuals should not own property, and when students joined the schools, they were required to give all their property and money to the school to be shared by all.

Success

Yet despite all these problems, we know that the Egyptian priests succeeded in starting new Mystery schools in Greece. Eventually, those schools spread to Rome. To some degree, God protects those who do His work on earth.

“Praise to the Great Lords of Eternity who, once such as we, now sit in the Everlasting Halls. Sanctified forever be the name of The One God, to Whom Alone shall be given reverence and glory, Who Alone is worthy of worship.

“Greetings, my Companions in Suffering; may the sun ever rise in glory over your fields. May you enjoy peace and prosperity here, and rise in splendor to a life of beauty in the Region of Light.

“May your servants be ever dutiful and your sons upright. May the women of your household be ever diligent and neat, chaste and modest.

“Two generations have passed into judgment since the wild dogs came swiftly in the night and scattered the seeds of wisdom to the winds.

“The Great Land shall no more know the true greatness of wisdom. The black soil shall not nourish its seed. The seed shall spring up and burst forth into leaf in foreign lands, among strange people.

“Our destiny lies Northward, and such is foretold in the Sacred Writings. I go and my household, and Jothan the Sartisian with his household. My brother Kabel also and his daughter, with Karob and Agab of the house of Moshes.

“We go by way of Kambusis and the waters of Jabel, over the wild wilderness to the Mountains of Winds. Beyond them we journey into Kindia, where there are pines.

“We shall take the records of the Eastern Quarter and the Guardians, who remain with us.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MAN:28:1-8)

Great Lords

The Great Lords this is talking about are not gods, but advanced spiritual beings who have left the physical realm and now sit in Heaven, which the quote calls “the Everlasting Halls”.

The One God

The quote was written in ancient Egypt, where most believe that a pantheon of many gods was worshiped. The quote tells us that some were aware that there is only One True God, the God in Heaven, the God of Spirit, not matter.

May the Sun Ever Rise

Naturally, we want the sun to always rise. If it didn’t, we would be in trouble. But these ancient priests of Egypt were talking about the spiritual sun as much as the physical, though they don’t say it.

Rise in Splendor

The priest is here wishing for you to rise to a life of splendor in the Region of Light, another way of saying Heaven, as that is the realm of Light. It must be noted that Light is capitalized in the quote, indicating that it refers to Spiritual Light, not ordinary light.

Wild Dogs

The “wild dogs” that came in the night to scatter the seeds of wisdom are not actual dogs, but barbarians who opposed the wisdom schools of ancient Egypt. Who these barbarians were, we don’t know.

Destiny lies Northward

Those who fled from the Barbarians headed north, probably to Greece and India (which is called Kindia in the Quote). In these new lands, the remnants of the ancient priesthood of Egypt began new schools of wisdom and spiritual development. They brought with them the “records of the Eastern Quarter” which were most likely records of their schools, who attended them, where they were located, their initiation rites, and so on. Those records would help in establishing new schools in the new lands they traveled to. By so doing, they assure that the Spiritual Sun will forever rise in glory.

“These are God’s words on the Hidden Portal, struck by one who slept within the temple and who knows the will of God. If they be heavy, they are also sound:

“’My children shall pass across the wilderness and sea, and my wisdom shall go with them. The whirlwind shall not strike them, nor shall they be consumed by the sea monsters. When all this generation and its children shall be as swathed bodies in their coffins, my children shall not be

at rest.’

“’They shall come to a land of many waters, where gold is found and there is copper in abundance. There they shall erect a temple to the glory of God, and they will prosper and increase. Their women shall be honoured by the water beast and rejoice in their good fortune.’

“’These are the words they shall remember and strike on marble at the temple gate. These are the words they shall engrave forever:

“’Good deeds must outweigh wicked ones on the Great Scales; otherwise, the spirit is doomed to darkness.’

“A man is expected to strive for perfection on Earth, but not to achieve it. Let him be judged according to his efforts.

“Bewail not if prosperity departs from you; it passes from the good, for they have passed its test.

“The day of the Destroyer will come again and the land shall be laid waste.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (Man:26:2-9)

The Hidden Portal

We in Cosolargy know that the real Hidden Portal is the Spiritual Sun, or the Sun of Righteousness, from which the Light of God streams forth to all of us. While this Light reaches all people and all beings, very little of it is absorbed unless one actively prepares to receive it. The quote may be referring to a lesser portal, which was probably the entrance to a secret temple in ancient Egypt.

Wisdom Shall go With Them

This paragraph is saying that some of those who are students of the great wisdom schools of ancient Egypt shall travel to other lands and bring the teachings with them. That doesn’t mean that the teachings would be revealed to the general public, but that secret wisdom schools would be established in other lands. When the quote says these travellers will not be struck by the whirlwind or consumed by monsters, it is an allegorical way of saying they will be protected from the forces and beings of evil.

Land of Many Waters

This description of their destination could apply to Greece since a large part of this country is islands. We know that temples of wisdom were built in Greece and that ancient Greece became a land of wisdom and prophecy. If one visits Greece today, one can still find the ruins of some of these centers of prophecy, such as the one at Delphi. It is also true that copper and gold was found in Greece. In fact, large deposits of both of those metals have recently been found in Greece.

Good Deeds

It is true that anyone who wishes to save their soul must engage mostly in good deeds. That doesn’t mean that one can engage in evil acts, then overcome the karma by doing good. Once a person has awakened to truth, they should avoid evil deeds as much as possible. Evil deeds of the past may be forgiven, but the karmic debt must still be paid.

Strive for Perfection

It is good to strive for perfection, especially spiritual perfection. It is true that it is almost never achieved during our physical life, but we should try anyway. Contrary to popular belief, the search for “perfection” continues after physical death if we have made sufficient effort to awaken and develop our spiritual faculties while physically alive. If you decide to wait until you die before developing your spirit, it will be too late.

Day of the Destroyer

Spiritual leaders say that we are close to the beginning of a new Golden Age of Man. Unfortunately, as we approach that period, the beings and forces of darkness will fight tooth and nail to maintain their control over the Earth. Those who are following the True Teachings of God will be protected from the worst of it, but we may still have to deal with some suffering and hardship. When that happens, we must remind ourselves that better times are to come.

“We journey towards a light we cannot reach and fall into a pit of darkness to find it at the bottom. We gaze on the beauty of the stars and think them high above, when, behold, they are within our hearts.

“Man is not born to play, but to labor. Life is a basket, which must be filled with sustenance for the future. The fool fills it with empty, unwholesome things; the wise man fills it with things of substance.

“Earth is a place of unreality. That, which seems substantial here may have no true substance. That, which seems desirable here may not be wholly desirable. That, which serves here may not serve everywhere.

“Man is born to live, but he is also born to die. It is no more natural for him to live than it is for him to die. Death is no harder than birth. It is no more difficult than life.

“The best of today is gone; we console ourselves, better will arise tomorrow. The Earth gets better or it passes away. Men improve or perish; that is the Law.

“May you find eternal springs of strength and courage welling up in your soul at the time of your testing.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (Man:25:7-12)

Journey Towards God’s Light

We in Cosolargy know he importance of moving toward God’s Light. It is not a physical movement, but a spiritual one. As we practice our sun-gazing techniques, we gradually raise our lever of consciousness closer and closer to the level where God is found. It is not, as the quote says, found at the bottom of a pit of darkness. The lower dimensions are the location of darkness, the higher ones are where God and Angels are found.

Beauty of Stars

Physically, stars are far away. Even our sun, which looks fairly close, is millions of miles away. When the quote says they are within our hearts, that is allegorical, not literal. They are in us because the light of stars—and especially the sun—fills our energy centers (chakras). With sufficient practice of spiritual techniques, those energy centers grow to the point where they touch each other, and energy can then flow completely through our body. And as our physical energy centers grow stronger, so do the spiritual centers. So the light of stars is in us on both the physical and spiritual levels.

Man Must Labor

It is true that men and women must labor. Indeed, a line in the prayer we read at second services on Sunday says that we must labor in this world and the next. That doesn’t mean we will work in factories or offices after leaving the physical world. It means we will continue to work on the development of our Soul until we reach the Divine state of Oneness with God.

The Unreality of Earth

Some people misunderstand when spiritual teachers say that the physical world is unreal. They don’t mean that it doesn’t exist, but that we see it in a distorted way. The reality of it is very different from what we see. Recent scientific discoveries tell us that objects such as a rock, that seem quite solid, are made up of atoms that are mostly “empty space”. But they seem solid because the “empty” space is full of energy, so not really empty at all. An atomic bomb works by releasing that trapped energy.

Born to Live and Die

This is true of the physical body. Just as the physical self is born, so must it die. But if you are spiritually awake, you need not fear death, since it is only the temporary physical body that dies.

Better Tomorrow

We are living in very dark times now, and it will probably get worse. But we can take solace in knowing that better times are to come. We are on the cusp of a Golden Age of Enlightenment. Naturally, the forces and beings of darkness are doing their worst to stop it, but they will fail, and darkness will be pushed out of the world, and indeed the universe, forever.

“Strive always to be the best in your calling, whatever it may be, and let not your energy be consumed in the envy of another’s achievements. Strive always to improve your own abilities, so that you may

take your place among the masters of your craft.

“Seek not to take advantage of your competitor by any underhanded methods, but overcome his opposition only through your own superiority. Thus, even though you fail, nevertheless the blow will be softened by the retention of your honor.

“Success is good and desirable, but of itself, it plays little part in the development of the soul. It is the manner, in which success or failure is met that leaves its impress there.

“Consider carefully the causes of success in others; what they can attain is not beyond your reach. Be not one of those who marvel not when others remove mountains but consider it beyond themselves to carry a pebble.

“Diligence will always be duly rewarded by the wise master.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:23:14-18)

Improve Yourself

The quote suggests that we should strive to be the best in our chosen field, whatever that may be. That is both unrealistic and not beneficial, especially with goals that are not spiritual. Not everyone can be the best in an earthly profession, and trying to do so can lead to frustration and disappointment. In addition, it has us competing against each other when we accomplish much more by working together towards goals that benefit all. Instead of competing against others, we should strive to improve ourselves. When it comes to spiritual development, we want to continue to develop always, but we must each do so at our own pace and by helping others rather than competing with them.

Success is Good

The quote says success is good, but it doesn’t help develop the soul. That depends on what you are successful at. If your success is in spiritual growth and development, then it definitely helps the soul. Even earthly goals can benefit the soul if they are done with love and by always obeying the Law of God. The quote does say that it is the manner in which success or failure is met that leaves an impression on the soul, and that is true. If you realize that your success is not just because of your own efforts, but also because of your God given gifts, then you will have humility with your success, and that is good for the spirit. On the other hand, if you meet failure with anger, you harm your soul if you meet failure instead with the idea that you can succeed on another day, and don’t allow anger to take over, then your failure will not harm your spirit.

When Others Remove Mountains

Jesus said that with faith the size of a mustard seed, a person could command a mountain to move, and it would move. While that is true, it is also true that the contrary thoughts of others prevent us from doing such things. Eventually, some of us will become Spiritual Masters and will be able to perform such deeds, although literally causing a mountain to move seems pointless to me. But it is known in spiritual circles that highly developed spiritual people have been able to turn away tornadoes and block wild fires. As we change and become more spiritual, the world around us is also changing in the same direction. We will reach a point where we will all be able to work what is now considered miracles, because there will be no materialistic people to counter those events. So while you probably can’t move mountains now, you should always try to do your best in whatever you do.

“The days that are past have gone forever, and those that sleep in the womb of the future may not be seen by you in your present state of being. Therefore, it is well to concern yourself wholly with the present, forgetting the past and not expecting too much from the future.

“The present alone is yours, and the fortunes of futurity will be dispensed according to the Law; therefore, you cannot know what the unborn days will bring forth. As to your own future state, subject to the Law, it is being conceived in your present thoughts and deeds.

“Idleness is the parent of poverty, but success and prosperity, attend upon the industrious and diligent.

“Waste not the early hours of the day. Serve your master with diligence, and promotion will be your reward. The man of affairs rises early to establish himself. Neglect not the affairs of the day, nor fill them with idle dreams of yourself when greater, for thus, you feed yourself on wind while your bread is eaten by another.

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:23:1-4)

The Past is Gone

While it is true that the past is gone, that doesn’t mean we should forget the lessons of the past, both negative and positive. If we forget the past, we would be like babies again, not knowing how to speak or walk. So it is not desirable to forget the past. I think the point the quote is trying to make is that we should not let the failures of the past prevent us from doing better in the present.

We cannot know the Future

While it is largely true that we cannot know the future, we can predict many future events with accuracy. We can predict that the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening and be nearly certain that it will happen. Likewise, we can predict that those of us who practice spiritual development techniques will advance spiritually, while those who do not will remain trapped in the material. So even though we can’t say how long it will take for each individual to achieve total enlightenment, we can say that those working towards that result will achieve it. As the quote admits, the future is being “conceived” by our thoughts and deeds, so by controlling our thoughts and deeds, we can control our future.

Idleness is the Parent of Poverty

While it is true that we must work for what we want, there are exceptions, such as those individuals who inherit fortunes and never have to work at all. For us spiritual people, it is true that those who are spiritually idle, that is, who do not practice their spiritual growth techniques regularly, will achieve little and thus live in spiritual poverty.

Waste not the Early Hours

Those of us in Cosolargy know how important it is to be up early, at least early enough to practice our spiritual techniques at sunrise. Some of us find that early morning is a good time to work on other things as well, such as writing these articles, which I am doing at 7:00 am. I find that I am less likely to get interrupted by phone calls, or noise in the early morning hours.

Idle Dreams

We also should not spend time on idle dreams of success without working to achieve it. As the quote says, that can result in others getting our share of “bread”. We in Cosolargy know that when talking about spiritual matters, “bread” as mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, refers not to the baked good found in the physical realm, but to the Light that comes from God that nourishes the spirit. So rise early and do your spiritual development techniques so you will get the true Bread promised by God.

“Joy and contentment come from something a man has within himself, not from things without. Solitude is a torment to the uneasy heart but balm to the contented one.

“A man who can be satisfied with little is the possessor of wisdom. He who desires no more than sufficient will always have enough; his cares will be few.

“Riches do not bring peace to the soul. The greatest treasure of all is a contented heart.

“The coming of riches is not a misfortune; the inheritance of estates is not a calamity to the wise man, for he will utilize them with temperance and discretion.

“The cup of gladness may be sipped by man, but to drain it is too much for the constitution of mortals.

“Contentment is the goal of life, but first the race has to be run. None can receive the crown of the victor until the course is finished and he takes his place among the competitors in the Halls of Eternity.

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:22:7-12)

Joy and Contentment

Joy and contentment do come mostly from within a man or woman. While it is true that some external things can affect our contentment, such as music, it is still coming from within because different people can feel differently when listening to the same song.

Solitude

Solitude is difficult for materialistic people, so they will change sides and join movements they really don’t believe in just to be part of a group. While the spiritual person is also happy to be part of groups, they can handle solitude as well. They would rather be on their own than compromise the truth to belong to a group.

Few possessions

The wise person is content with few possessions. One reason for that is they know that possessions tend to increase our attachments to the physical world, and those attachments can be used by the dark beings to trick them into doing things they shouldn’t. That doesn’t mean that spiritual people must live in poverty. They can live in reasonable comfort as God does not want any of us to suffer, but they must avoid becoming too attached to those material comforts. Also, the person who is content with only what is necessary will not be wasting time pursuing more and more material wealth, as we see so many materialists doing.

The Greatest Treasure

Where the quote says the greatest treasure is a contented heart, it really means a contented spirit. An awakened and developed spirit is the greatest treasure a person can have. But we must all make an effort to awaken and develop our spiritual faculties that lie dormant when we enter the physical realm.

Coming of Riches

A spiritual person who inherits wealth will not be harmed by that inheritance. They will use that wealth for their own spiritual development and to aid the spiritual community they belong to. If they don’t belong to a spiritual community, they will donate much of it to worthy charities.

The Crown of Victory

What the quote calls “the crown of the victor” means developing the spirit to the point where it reaches the highest level of consciousness and becomes One with God and the Angels in heaven. It is extremely rare for someone to achieve that level while still in the physical realm. But if we do as much as we can while alive in this world, the process of spiritual development will continue in the afterlife that the quote calls “the Halls of Eternity”.

REFERENCES

Florence Ayscough. Tu Fu: The Autobiography of a Chinese Poet. Vol. 1: A.D. 712–759. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1928.

Li Ung Bing. Outlines of Chinese History. Shanghai: Commercial Press,, 1914.

C. E. Couling. The Luminous Religion. London: Carey Press,, 1925.

Samuel Couling. The Encyclopaedia Sinica. London: Oxford University Press, 1917.

J. D. Frodsham, trans. The Poems of Li Ho. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970.

David Hinton, trans. The Selected Poems of Tu Fu. New York: New Directions Books, 1989.

Frits V. Holm. My Nestorian Adventure in China: A Popular Account of the Holm-Nestorian Expedition to Sian-Fu and Its Results. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1923.

Frits V. Holm. The Nestorian Monument: An Ancient Record of Christianity in China. Chicago: Open Court, 1909.

Charles O. Hucker. China’s Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1975.

Charles O. Hucker. A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1985.

James Legge, trans. Li Chi: Book of Rites. New York: University Books, 1967.

Howard S. Levy, trans. Biography of An Lu-shan. Chinese Dynastic Histories Translations. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960.

A. C. Moule. Christians in China Before the Year 1550. New York: Octagon Books, 1977.

Edwin G. Pulleyblank. The Background of the Rebellion of An Lushan. Vol. 4 of the London Oriental Series. London: Oxford University Press, 1955.

P. Y. Saeki. Catalogue of the Nestorian Literature and Relics. Tokyo: Maruzen, 1950.

P. Y. Saeki. The Nestorian Documents and Relics of China. Academy of Oriental Culture, Tokyo Institute. Tokyo: Maruzen, 1951.

P. Y. Saeki. The Nestorian Monument in China. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1916.

Denis Twitchett, ed. The Cambridge History of China. Vol. 3: Sui and Tang China, 589–906, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979.

Robin E. Waterfield. Christians in Persia: Assyrians, Armenians, Roman Catholics and Protestants. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1973.

 *

Emperor Wu-tsung (Wuzong)

Two dynastic generations after the Monument was raised, a period of time shorter than a single lifetime, the monasteries suffered the humiliation of mortal dissolution, as had the benefactor Mar Iazed-buzid before them. (See Supplement 32) In 845, the monastery buildings were confiscated by imperial decree; the monks were returned to secular life so they might pay taxes; and the Stone was buried in the earth, where it remained for nearly 800 years. (See Supplement 33)

Mar Iazed-buzid, who had striven to restore the visible Church with riches and good works, was perhaps no more presumptuous than I, who have striven to recollect his life from a single short account and a modest audit of history.

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Robert Petrovich, 1989

< PART 6: REFERENCES >

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplement 32:
The Ebbing Dynasty of Tang

Emperor Wu-tsung (Wuzong)

Under Emperor Wu-tsung (reigned 840–847) the dynasty had gone through a period of crisis. After the Uighur Empire fell and internal strife in Tibet destroyed all semblance of central power there, Chinese authority once again spread into the territories of the Northwest. While these foreign affairs were still in the balance, Emperor Wu-tsung faced another internal rebellion, this time in southern Shensi. Now the culminating wave of financial crisis, which had been building during the reign that preceded his, broke. Like Te-tsung and Hsien-tsung before him, Wu-tsung was a deeply committed Taoist, and he decided to solve his problems by suppressing the Buddhist monasteries and sequestering their wealth on a vast scale. (Tai-tsung, the second emperor of Tang, put himself in power in similar fashion before Rabban A-lo-pen’s arrival in 635.) Other foreign religions suffered the same fate. Although Wu-tsung’s successor, Hsuan-tsung, (reigned 874–859) swiftly rescinded these measures – their impact had been profound both on Buddhism and on Chinese society, which had become completely permeated with Buddhist (foreign) influence – it was too late. The power of the dynasty itself was slowly ebbing. The Tang dynasty lingered on for thirty more years, then ended.

Supplement 33:
A Note on the Burial of the Monument

Luminous Teaching Stone of China

During the so-called Ta-chin Rebellion (783–784), it was said that one of the leaders of the rebellion, Chiao Lin, hid in a “saint-visited monastery.” This was perhaps the monastery at Wu-chun. In 784, after the emperor had beheaded the chiefs of the rebellion, he could have ridden back to Chang-an past this same monastery. If the Monument had been erected here, the emperor might have ordered it buried or else the monks might have buried the Stone themselves in order to protect it. The words “Ta-chin” were inscribed on it in large characters. If the Stone was not buried in one of these ways in 784, it was certainly buried in 845 after the imperial edict was decreed.