The Awe: A Case Study On The Life Ethics Miao Ordeal System Embedded

The Miao ordeal system should be with a long history because ordeal system is a systemthat generally exists in primitive societies all over the world. The Miao ordeal system,however, do not fade away from the stage of modern society, instead still actively plays animportant role in Miao communities, such as those in Qiandongnan autonomous prefectureand Songtao autonomous county, in time when modern legal system is widely popularizedand strengthened. The reason why this old system can co-exist with the modern legal systemis the goal the present study. By analyzing the cases collected from the Miao communitieswhere the ordeal practice is functionally performed, the present study finds that the reasonwhy ordeal still serves as a working means to solve the disputes and keep the community inorder is the existence of the life ethics in which holiness is respected highly. Based on thisfinding, the paper discusses the conceptual meaning of life ethics in which holiness isrespected highly from the perspectives of Miao’s belief, morality and heavenly principles.From the perspective of Miao belief, the birth of the life ethics is believed to be closelyrelated with the cognition on the life process of the Miao ancestors who lived in the earlyagricultural patterns; and the basic principles of the life ethics of the Miao are animalism,respect for all lives and lives are exchangeable; and life is conceived as a holy beingcombined of Soul and Flesh. Thus the main duty and goal of one’s life is the proliferation ofhis/her clan, avoiding her/his family lineage being extinct. In other words, a Miao views thepursuit for the proliferation of his/her clan as the highest goal in his/her earthly life, as well asfor the sublimation of his/her soul into a divinity after his flesh life ends. That means life is a"closed circle", in which birth and death has no clear boundary. Guided by view of this lifeethics, a Miao is not afraid of death though he/she is longing for a lengthy life since naturaldeath helps him/her become a divinity and enables him/her come back to the spiritual cradleplace to live with the holy ancestors.From the perspective of the Miao morality which is conceived as the most importantcomponent of the life ethics, bullies, robberies and opportunistic action are thought of asimmoralities. The rites of ordeal is the representations of morality, so the high frequency ofperformance of Ordeals means the continuous reconstruction and amendment of moralitysince the basis of life ethics will collapse, the nature of humanity will be twisted and moralityitself will deviate from the right road of the conventionalized moral rules once the morality isabsent. The reason why the life ethics is well abided in the Miao communities is the result ofmoral order which is continuously strengthened by the awing message of retribution signaled by the performance of ordeal.From the perspective of heavenly principle which every one is rigorously required torespect, ordeal performance is believed to be the representation of heavenly intention, which,in return, makes people awed. The judgment by ordeal is believed to be the actualization ofjustice. As demonstrated by the cases in this dissertation that regulations must be followedunconditionally and rigidly once declared before “God”, and one is believed to be punished ifhe violates them.Therefore a conclusion is drawn out that awe is the foundation on which the Miao holylife ethics stands and that ordeal system, as a set of local knowledge that applies divinity tokeep society in order, still plays an active role in Miao communities as a functional meansboth to solve social disputes and to answer the uncertainties..