What is The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang?
According to the Chinese tradition, in the 6th century, after her death, Empress Chi Hui, the wife of Emperor Wu of Liang (463-549), appeared in the Emperors dream to let him know that, because of her anger and jealousy, she has turned into a python in purgatory. The Emperor then sought the assistance of Chan Master Bao Zhi, the most revered Buddhist monk of that era, together with more than 100 other highly respected Buddhist monks, to conduct a repentance ceremony to set her free. The magnificent ten-roll repentance was then composed by Chan Master Bao Zhi; it is called The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang, or The Compassionate Dharma Assembly of Repentance Service. An impressive and revered repentance ceremony was then organized. Not too long after that, the Empress appeared in the Emperors dream, telling him that thanks to the undaunted sincerity of the Emperor, the Sangha, and all the citizens, as well as her being repentant about what she had done, she has left the pythons bod
