Selected Prose Works of Miao Chongqun

Author: Miao Chongqun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: Miao Chongqun, pen name Zhongyi, was born in Hexie, Jiangsu in 1907 into an intellectual family. His life was fraught with hardships, marked by poverty and illness. In January 1945, at the height of his fame, he suddenly passed away in the Beibei Jiangsu Hospital in Chongqing at the age of 38. Miao Chongqun was a versatile writer with a prolific output, contributing to novels, essays, and translations. However, his most dedicated work was in the realm of essay writing. He began publishing his works in 1928, and over the next decade, he produced six collections of essays alone: Weli Collection (February 1933, Beiping Xingyun Tang), Ji Jiankang Ren (November 1933, Shanghai Liangyou), Feixu Collection (September 1939, Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House), Xia Chong Collection (July 1940, Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House), Shi Ping Suibi (January 1942, Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House), and Juan Juan Cao (August 1942, Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House). After his passing, his close friend Han Shixi and Ba Jin compiled and edited two more collections of essays: Anli Xin Shou (February 1946, Shanghai International Cultural Service Society) and Beixia Suibi (November 1948, Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House). Additionally, many of his works remain uncollected and are scattered across various periodicals of the time. Miao Chongqun's essays reflect, from one perspective, the social realities and customs of that era, leaving behind his own life path and ideological marks, showcasing his unique style and developmental trajectory in essay writing. Excerpt: I suddenly grasped the essence of asceticism—it was like a flash of light, illuminating a direction in my life's journey. Religion teaches people to believe in a "divine being," a "ruler," a God, or a Bodhisattva—a common ultimate goodness or truth. It urges people to repent for the past, forget the present, and hope for the future—holding a sword in one hand and embracing scriptures?—one side is hell, the other heaven!—I am clever, so I am not deluded; I am foolish, so I am not intimidated. Let it be—belief lies within. In truth, both heaven and hell are equally distant from us, perhaps equally near. How should we take our steps, how should we reach our destination? Or should we falter, hesitate? Humans are inherently contradictory creatures, possessing both conscience and desires, neither inherently good nor evil. Both the spirit and the body must seek their paths of development. I do not believe that reciting "Namo Amitabha" or "Our Lord God" can lead one directly to a "paradise"—I do not believe in such secrets or shortcuts! Those who are content with asceticism remind me of a native living in the tropics who ultimately achieved goodness. I also recall the often-seen meditators, vegetarians, preachers, and beggars—they may merely be performing rituals, even using them to beg for food to fill their bellies. Who truly understands that asceticism is a necessary path to ultimate goodness? Only those who practice asceticism can root out the superficial desires from their very core. A politician, a manager, a young master or mistress, a big boss—...they consume the lives, efforts, and profits of many beyond themselves, merely to satiate themselves. They are fatter, more "nourished" than others, so they have more money, more strength, more "spirit," and more fat. Thus, they "create" more, smarter, in fact worse, more unnatural, and more exploitative methods of enjoyment. Those who have never seen hell should look at these guardians of hell! They are the true flesh-eaters and bloodthirsty plunderers!