The Netherworld, Reincarnation, and Karmic Retribution through the Events of Injustice and Revenge in Sanguozhi Pinghua

Abstract

Objectives: This article attempts to explore the influence of Buddhism in the literary work Sanguozhi Pinghua through the stories of injustice and revenge. During the span of approximately 2,000 years, Buddhism and Chinese culture have influenced each other in a complex manner; as a result, local Buddhist beliefs have emerged from this process. In addition to the Buddhist sutras, other forms of literature, such as tales, are also an important source for the laity to understand Buddhism. Sanguozhi Pinghua is a tale recounting the story of the Three Kingdoms period diffused with the local beliefs of Buddhism and other Chinese religions. This research aims to examine the Buddhist influence on Sanguozhi Pinghua in three themes: the netherworld, reincarnation, and retribution. We propose that Sanguozhi Pinghua reveals commoners’ interpretation of Buddhist beliefs, which may not have been recorded in the Buddhist sutras, such as the concept of collective karma. Methods: This research compared literary works and Buddhist scriptures. Results: The results indicate that the concepts of the netherworld, reincarnation, and retribution in Sanguozhi Pinghua are a mixture of Buddhist influence and Chinese local beliefs, resulting in a significant deviation from the teachings in Buddhist scriptures. Application of this study: This study hopes to offer a nuanced interaction between Buddhism and Chinese culture, which can be considered one of the models for studying religions in the society.