This morning, these photos caught my eyes.
November 25th, Taiyuan Railway Station, an old man was seen unmoved in his chair for a long time. Some passengers tried to wake him up, only to find him dead cold. They called the police.
A monk at the scene went over to perform the rituals to release his soul from purgatory.
When the high speed railway collided near Wenzhou and the authorities buried the wrecks before any investigation, many in China questioned whether this country have lost its soul for the economic growth. The toddler trategy seems to amplified the voice: "China, please slow down your breakneck pace, wait for your people, wait for your soul, wait for your morals, wait for your conscience! ... Walk slowly and let every life enjoy freedom and dignity. No one should be cast aside by this era."
The Chinese netizens expressed great respect for this monk, but this could change little the grim reality of religious oppression in the country.
I remember in Tu Wei-ming's class, he asked a question: "Can law make people virtuous?"
China has made serious effort to build a more comprehensive legal system. There is few country that has so many laws, regulations, orders and rules coming out all the time, covering almost every conceivable part of the modern society. After the railway collision, from officials in the government, to public intellectuals, and to netizens, people have been calling for more regulations, better oversight, rooting out corruption, etc. They want severe penalty to be imposed on the guilty parties. Same applies to the toddler incident.
But can law make people virtuous? Can law cultivate compassion?
I am worried about the huge inequality in China, which is a source of instabilities and possibly drastic changes in the country in the short term, however I am much more worried about something intangible -- that this once great civilization has lost its soul. These photos give me some hope. And I wish they will make an impact to those who see them.
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