| On Ghosts III: |
Not only does the record in this book prove it to be so. Formerly Lord Jian of Yan (about 500 B.C.) put his Minister Zhuang Zeyi to death while he was innocent. Zhuang Zeyi remarked: "The lord puts me to death though I am innocent. If man loses his consciousness after death then all is done. If I shall still retain my consciousness after death, I shall let the Lord know of this within three years." In a year, Yan was going to repair to Zu. Such ceremonies were the occasions of large assemblages of men and women. At noon Lord Jian was riding on the road to Tsu. Zhuang Zeyi carried a red staff and struck and prostrated him. At the time all the people of Yen who were there saw it and all those who were far away heard of it. And it was recorded in the Spring and Autumn of Yan. The feudal lords circulated the news around, and remarked: "So speedy and severe are the misfortunes and punishment from the spirits and ghosts upon him that kills the innocent." Judging from the record in this book, how can we doubt that spirits and ghosts exist? |
