沒有污泥，沒有蓮花：論《金雲翹傳》中罪惡感情結的世俗轉化進路，兼及蓮花色比丘尼的終極療癒之道=No Mud, No Lotus: A Deep Reflection on “Kim Van Kieu”, it’s Guilt Complex and the Ultimate Healing of Bhiksuni Utpalavarnnā
The definition of “Guilt” comes from moral judgment. Morality consists of the value system of the society and the culture. On the other hand, a sense of “guilt” is a reaction someone has towards the “Guilt”. How to define whether something is “Guilty” or not, there are different interpretations. As a matter of fact, sense of “guilt” is a mental activity that is shared across all human beings. The author of this article believes that this sense of guilt is one of the most powerful forces in human awareness. However, it can also be a heavy lock of the deep human spirit. It can encourage someone to do something virtuous. It can also suppress the development of someone’s good nature. “ A Tale of Kim Vân Kiều” is a Chinese novel written in the end of Ming Dynasty. It is a tragedy about a young girl, Kiều, who became a prostitute in order to save her father. The moral dilemma she faced and the wound she carried with her can be found across the history among many innocent victims. Although in the novel, the author tried to use the “duality of the soul and body” to solve the moral dilemma of Kiều, it is merely a placebo. This essay would love to reflect on the “guilt complex” in this novel to discuss the essence of the feeling of guilt and how to heal the wound it causes in human mind. It also discusses how to transform a sense of guilt to a positive energy of life. This is a critical issue in the ultimate realization of life.
