ENG
Neither dead nor truly alive, a dreamer left behind,
One step missed, cost half a lifetime.
Few disciples know when Non-Void took his vows and became a monk. They only know that he was among the earliest to follow their master, making him the most senior, and entrusted to many of the temple's affairs.
He rarely left the hall, seemingly always engrossed in endless sutra recitations. He was also highly skilled in poetry and painting, having depicted various Buddhas in the west and the myriad aspects of worldly life. Yet, he never cherished his creations, often discarding them carelessly after finishing. When asked why, he would say, "I see no true self; Non-void is but void. It's all an illusion, so why hold on to it?"
Though Non-Void seldom left the hall, he enjoyed engaging others in debates about Buddhist doctrines.
One day, Non-Able approached him and asked, "Brother, is killing a sin?"
Non-Void replied, "Killing is a sin. But if it is for the sake of the greater good, then it is not a sin."
Non-Able countered, "And what is the greater good?"
Non-Void answered, "It is the realization of void, the fulfillment of virtue, ascending to the land of bliss."
Non-Able questioned further, "Killing not only fails to resolve karma but also creates more entanglements and obstacles. How can one ascend to bliss then?"
Non-Void responded, "If I do not enter hell, who will? If not killing leaves harm for others, isn't that a greater lack of virtue?"
Non-Able laughed, "Brother, you yourself said you would enter hell, which shows that killing is wrong no matter what. Good ones naturally receive blessings; there's no need for you to make things complicated."
Non-Void hastily explained, "Entering hell is just a metaphor. The essence is to suffer for others..."
Non-Able interrupted, "Nonsense! Killing is killing, no need for all these convoluted justifications. Brother, the pretence behind justifying killing is the real sin."
Hearing this, Non-Void was momentarily speechless, as if reminded of something from the past.
From that day on, the two never debated again.
The passage opens by describing a man who is neither fully alive nor dead, called a dreamer left behind, and says that a single misstep cost him half his life. That sets the tone for someone who is in a liminal, regretful state. The main character introduced is Non-Void, an early and senior disciple at a temple who handled many of the temple’s affairs and was trusted by their master.
Non-Void rarely left the main hall. He spent much of his time reciting sutras, and he was also a skilled poet and painter. He painted Buddhas and scenes of everyday life, but he kept discarding his work after finishing it. When questioned, he said he saw no true self and called himself “non-void,” treating everything as illusion and therefore not worth clinging to. He liked to engage others in doctrinal debates despite mostly staying inside the hall.
The key second character is Non-Able, another monk who challenged Non-Void on moral grounds. Non-Able asked a straightforward question: is killing a sin? Non-Void first answered that killing is a sin, but immediately added a conditional: if killing serves a greater good, then it is not a sin. He defined the “greater good” as realizing the void, fulfilling virtue, and ascending to a land of bliss.
Non-Able pushed back, arguing that killing doesn’t resolve karma and instead creates more entanglements and obstacles, which would prevent someone from reaching bliss. Non-Void replied with a counterargument: if he himself did not descend into hell, who would? If refraining from killing left harm for others, wouldn’t that be a greater failing of virtue? Non-Able pointed out that Non-Void had already said he would enter hell, and used that to show killing was wrong regardless of rationalizations. He said the good receive blessings naturally and that justifying killing is only a pretence.
Non-Void then tried to soften his words, saying “entering hell” was a metaphor and that the essence was suffering for others. Non-Able cut him off and said plainly that killing is killing and that the real sin is the pretence behind trying to justify it. That remark made Non-Void suddenly speechless, as if some memory or past event had been triggered. After that exchange, the two never debated again. The implication is that Non-Able’s blunt moral clarity confronted something unresolved in Non-Void and ended their philosophical discussions.