善書=Advisory books; 功過格=Books of merits and demerits; 道教=Taoism; 理學=The comfucian school idealist philosophy; 佛教=Buddhism; 黃黑豆=Soybeans and black soybeans
Books of merits and demerits record and list the good deeds and bad deeds of people respectively. They are usually divided into the books of merits and the books of demerits. The Book of Merits and Demerits of Tai Wei Celestial is the first book of this kind. Although Shih Yin-fu Advisory Book of Merits and Demerits has the title of "book of merits and demerits", it is quite different from other books which assume the same title. It does not list all the good deeds and bad deeds. Instead, it is presented in the form of novels, like precious scrolls for preaching. Shih Yin-fu Advisory Book of Merits and Demerits is an advisory book which combines the concept of interaction in Taoism and the Confucian School Idealist Philosophy of the Sung and Ming Dynasties. The views toward fast, abstention from killing, chanting and recitation of sutra in the book differ from those of other advisory books. It does not encourage people to become monks and withdraw from society. Instead, it advises people to do good deeds from their own houses and put themselves in the human world. The book encourages people to fulfill the traditional Chinese concepts of the proper ethical relationship in Confucianism, such as filial piety, sibling affection, loyalty and sincerity and dedicate themselves to the well-being of the society. It does not propose performing tonsure ceremonies, becoming monks or spending one's life in chanting and reciting sutra. In addition, the book is against making pills of immortality from lead and mercury. It suggests that cultivating one's spiritual and religious life equals to caring for parents, dedicating oneself to society and following the traditional Chinese concepts of the proper ethical relationship. Its viewpoints are similar to the concepts of the sage inside (investigation of things, extension to the utmost knowledge, sincerity in one's thoughts and rectification of the heart) and the king outside (cultivation of one's character, regulation of one's family, right governing of one's state and bringing tranquility and happiness throughout the kingdom) of the Confucian School Idealist Philosophy of the Sung and Ming Dynasties. However, the Confucian School Idealist Philosophy of the Sung and Ming Dynasties focuses on doing everything one ought to do without discussing deities. Shih Yin-fu Advisory Book of Merits and Demerits, on the other hand, suggests that doing everything one ought to do is the means to become deities.
