The Treatise of the Illustrious Sage On Response and Retribution

Canto I: The Words of Laozi The Divinely Illustrious Sage Prays for every soul to heed: That neither woe nor weal Heaven has foreordained, But wrought by men alone, The fruits of virtue and vice Pursue the begetter like A shadow following the form! Canto II: The Celestial Justiciars Between Heaven and Earth Dwell the Demigods of Justice, They weigh the deeds of men And shorten their lifespans, Inflicting upon the wicked The cruel fruits of iniquity: Distress, decay, disgrace Poverty and proscription. Fortuna holds her head aloof As they drown in misfortune Until death claims their souls. The Triumvirs of the North Glide atop every man—recording Each of their wicked misdeeds— Shaving away their allotted years! The Three Spirits of the Flesh, Aboding in men’s bodies, Mount up to Heavenly Tribunal In seasons of sixty days each To report their wayward deeds, And so too the Hearth Deity Upon the end of each lunar month. Those guilty of high crimes Lose a dozen years of life And every misdemeanor Warrants a fine of one season, There are hundreds of vices that All who yearn for long life must Know and discern between! Canto III: The Way of Virtue Seek virtue and eschew vice, Be righteous without hypocrisy, Delight in charity and mercy, In loyalty and filial piety, Cultivate good character then Convert others to goodness, Succor the orphaned and pity The widowed, esteem the elderly And cherish the young, fail not To protect the flora and fauna. Be a well of kindly sympathy, A harbor of vicarious joy, Neither deny the needy nor Ignore those mired in peril, Abstain from schadenfreude And exalt not your own glory, Never prate the scandals of others But skillfully discourage vice And encourage virtuous deeds! Take little but grant much, Be patient in humiliation, Modest in acclamation, And generous without desire For recognition and recompense, Refrain from revoking what Has been bestowed upon others. All who abide by such virtues Are revered by men, blessed by Heaven and graced with fortune, Impervious to evil and guarded By a host of celestial gods, Their every move is successful And Immortality is their right— With 300 good deeds, they become Demigods ; with 1300 good deeds, They attain Heavenly Immortality! For Cantos IV, V and VI, please see the full, free and public domain version: https://archive.org/details/treatiseoftheillustrioussage All rights released into Public Domain