Reports of Abbot Dashan and Father Du Jarric
A number of kings may have ruled in 17th century Asia, yet they differedsignificantly in their treatment of citizens and captives. Two historicrecords-one written by the influential Chinese Buddhist Abbot ShilianDashan about self-proclaimed King Minh Vuong in 1695, and the secondcompiled by Father Pierre Du Jarric during the early 1600s on Akbar orGreat Mogul--clearly demonstrated how varied these kingdoms could be. In 1695 King Minh Vuong invited Abbot Dashan to his VietnameseKingdom of Dang Trong, or what the Europeans called "Cochinchina," toestablish the principles of the school of Zen Buddhism. After an arduousvoyage, made worse by the claustrophobic quarters shared with merchants andtraders, the multi-storied vessel arrived at its destination. It did not take long for the abbot to recognize that not all waspeaceful and abundant in this land. Several old men, unkempt and withblackened teeth, came up to the boat as soon as it arrived. However, theywere fearful and did not come aboard. This was the responsibility of theking's officers only. Later, much to the abbot's embarrassment anduneasiness, ten marines physically carried him off the ship. They headed to
Although Akbar also-3-took revenues from both deposed lands and his people to pay for the armyand emergencies, he also helped build these countries' wealth throughtrade. Twice a day the king held an open court and allowed an individual from anyclass to come before him. Meanwhile, King Minh Vuong stayed in hispalace. Echebar's tolerance was one of the reasons for Du Jarric's support. He would wait for the abbot to come to him, rather than thereverse. The next day, Abbot Dashan discovered why he only saw old men, womenand children in the villages. Father Du Jarric wrote how fruitful and abundant the land was between theIndus and Ganges. Many familiesmade their sons become Buddhist monks rather than join the king's army. Unlike King Minh Vuong, the Mogul ruler highly respectedvisitors from other countries and religions. Although he could not read norwrite, he surrounded himself with learned men and shared in theirdiscussions. Echebar "had an alert and discerning mind; he was a man of soundjudgment, prudent in affairs and, above all, kind, affable and generous,"wrote the abbot. Those seeing the king had to bend and kiss hisfeet, but "this is a custom much practiced" by rulers in this part of theworld. The king made sure that justice was strictly observed and wascautious when inflicting punishment, especially the death penalty.
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