The Venerable Monk Enters Nirvana

[Tainan Mantis]

During the Yuan dynasty a play called Story of the Western Chamber became popular and has remained so until the present day. During my translation work of old Mantis documents I discovered that some things from mantis had been borrowed from this story. The most fascinating comes from the 8th road of Eighteen Luohan Gung.

I have searched for this book's English translation and yesterday finally got my hands on it. The version I got is translated from a 1498 edition with well made wood block prints. In commemoration of this grand event I have included the translation from Eighteen Luohan Gung that got me started looking for Story of the Western Chamber over ten years ago.

8 The Venerable Monk Enters Nirvana (1)
The clean and pure sea of awareness

Touch your leg stick out your ribs and keep your legs together.
When you realize the Buddha nature in all living things your eyes will become radiant.
As the venerable monk sits in meditation,
Shadows of waving bamboo appear on the window screen.
The lamp's clear light won’t be extinguished by wind.
A dream of Hongniang going to the western chamber.
Lying sick in bed he (Zhang Sheng) sends a letter.
The fiercely tempered little monk is obstinate as bronze.
In pursuing success ambition becomes uncontrollable.
Why must we seek Buddha and pray for the Western Paradise?

[Tainan Mantis]

Here is a drawing of the picture

[Tainan Mantis]

Before I talk about the relevance of this drama to our martial art practice I will put up several posts in order to paint a brief outline of the story.

Story of The Western Wing

When Chancellor Cui lived in the capitol he had a wife and daughter named Oriole. Upon his sudden death he left behind only an ancestral home and enough money for travelling expenses. With this remaining cash, Madam and Oriole, along with two servants attempt the long journey to transport the coffin of the chancellor back home for a burial in the ancestral shrine. En route, the road home becomes temporarily impassable. Stranded with no way to continue they take refuge in the western wing of Monastery of Universal Salvation.

Coming from another direction a certain Student Zhang is on his way to the capitol to sit for the imperial examinations. Passing through the Monastery of Universal Salvation and admiring its beautiful architecture he happens to catch a glimpse of Oriole and becomes instantly smitten. He asks around and discovers that she is staying in the western wing of the temple. Student Zhang tracks down the abbot, Dharma Source, and asks for permission to stay in a spare room. Dharma Source volunteers rooms in the southern and eastern wings of the temple, but our Student Zhang convinces the abbot that he would be best able to prepare for exams if he could rest in the western wing.

The western wing is now the residence of both the beautiful Oriole and the smart but unproven Student Zhang, ready to begin their romance and hence, the name of the play, Story of the Western Wing.

[Tainan Mantis]

The Rebel General Flying Tiger

As soon as they mutually discover and confirm their undying love for each other a frightened monk rushes in and declares that the temple is surrounded by the rebel general Flying Tiger and his army of 5000 pillaging soldiers.

It turns out that news of the deceased chancellor’s exceedingly beautiful daughter staying at Monastery of Universal Salvation has found its way to General Flying Tiger. The general has come to the temple to take Oriole as his bride. Sitting astride his horse, Flying Tiger delivers his ultimatum; present Oriole to him for marriage or his soldiers will burn the temple to the ground and massacre everyone inside!

Oriole and Madam think over possible solutions and finally Oriole decides, against her mother’s wishes, that suicide is the best option. In desperation Madam calls together all the temple occupants, both monk and laity, and offers her daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever can overcome Flying Tiger and his army of 5000 pillaging soldiers!

[Tainan Mantis]

Here is the 1498 woodblock print of Flying Tiger outside the Monastery of Universal Salvation with some of his soldiers.

[Tainan Mantis]

Following the above post:

Madam says, ‘Whosoever among the monks and laymen of either corridor has a plan to repulse the soldiers will receive a dowry and Oriole as wife.’

Student Zhang’s Plan

Student Zhang enters, “I have a plan to turn back the soldiers, why not ask me?”

‘Where lies your plan?’ Madam asks.

‘There is a brave man whenever there is a great reward!’

‘I will give Oriole as wife to anyone who can drive the traitorous soldiers away.’

Student Zhang, sounding like the husband before the reward has been earned says, ‘If it is really so, then let’s not scare my wife anymore! Please go to your bed chamber, I myself have a plan to repulse the troops.’

Oriole remarks on Student Zhang’s qualities with a song (one of many).

‘All the monks flee for their own lives;
Of all my relatives, who cares about us?
This student, who knows me not at all,
shows great concern for a perfect stranger…
Whether the situation can be rescued or not
Is temporarily in the hands of this budding talent…
I only hope that you can wipe away 5000 men
With the tip of your brush!’

After Oriole leaves, Student Zhang gives instructions to the frightened abbot, Dharma Source, and orders him to the front gate to speak with Flying Tiger.

Dharma Source Speaks with Flying Tiger

‘General Flying Tiger, would you please come out and talk?’

Flying Tiger enters, accompanied by soldiers, ’Send out Oriole quickly!’

‘Don’t be angry General, Madam has sent me here to talk to you. Madam really wants to deliver her daughter up to you, General. But she is still wearing mourning for her father and, alas, she has fainted out of alarm over the sounding gongs and beating drums. If you want to become a bridegroom, you should lay down your armor, restrain your troops, and retreat the distance of one bowshot. Within a limit of three days her mourning will be completed; she will change her mourning garb for a bright red bridal gown, Then will she be sent to you, General, with a dowry thrown in. But if she is given up immediately, first, she will still be wearing mourning clothing, and second, she will be unlucky for you.’

‘Well, since it is like this, I’ll give you three days; grace, If she’s not delivered then, you’ll die to the last man. Go and tell Madam that. Tell her to summon the nice, good-natured son-in-law that I am.’

Dharma Source returns to report,’ The troops have withdrawn. If she’s not delivered up in three days, we’re all dead!’

[MantisCool]

I have an english translation which I bought in Taiwan in the 80's. It was printed in 1978.

The translation was done by Henry H Hart of San Francisco in 1936.

I have never read the book! Just took the book out to compare your note. Here is what in the book as a comparison.

CH'ANG, clapping his hands, enters

CH'ANG:
I have a plan to drive out the bandits. Why do you not ask me? [Sees MADAMES.]

MADAME:
What is the plan?

CH'ANG:
I humbly beg to assure Madame that with the generous reward which she has offered there must appear a brave man. if you keep faithful to your promise, a plan will be worked out.

MADAME:
I was just telling the abbot that if there be anyone found who can drive away the robber band I shall give him my daugther for his bride.

....... and so on.....

YING YING:
Hung Niang, it would be difficult indeed to find anyone like him.

[Sings]:
Every one of the monks has fled for his life.
Of all the people of our house,
Who will take care of us?
Yet he, though but a stranger,
Makes it his concern.
It is not that this student
Likes idly to converse and give advice,
Nor does he himself wish to burn stone with
with jade
As to marriage,
What a sad thing is my life
Henceforth with no meaning!
Whether he succeeds or fails
Let us put our trust in this young scholar.
If he has the cleverness to summon troops
And write a letter
To subdue the land of Yen,
He can, with the point of his writing brush,
Sweep up in a heap five thousand men.
[Exit YING YING with HUNG NIANG]

My footnote:
1. to burn stone with with jade means to allow the nobles and the common
folks to perish together.
2. Yen is a feudal state at the northeast of the Chou empire

It seems that the storyline of my book is longer.

[Tainan Mantis]

It seems that the storyline of my book is longer.

Actually I have left out a lot of details. Also, I have not finished my outline here.
the point of my outline of the story is to provide a brief background so that I can introduce the character General Bai Ma in the context of his activities in the story.

More outline will be coming later.

Thanks for sharing that quote from your version , I had been thinking about that book and possibly searching it out.

There are many versions of this play with wide variations, your translation comes from a version different from mine.

The version I have procured is the oldest known complete, play dating from 1498.

It is closer to the Yuan Dynasty version. Later versions, especially Qing Dynasty have changed aspects of the story such as the love story aspect or the fighting aspect owing to differences of culture (Confucioun views) in different dynasties.

[Tainan Mantis]

I have turned this posting into an article including more information as well as illustrations and pictures.
Hope you can find something you enjoy here.

Entering the Sea of Awareness

[BeiTangLang]

Outstanding! Thanks for sharing!

[Tainan Mantis]

Continuing with the health aspects of Mantis and especially Luohan Gung I have put up a complete translation of the entire 11th road of Luohan Gung.

No big accomplishment as it is the shortest of roads, coming in at only 140 characters, most are double that or more.

Like most roads, this one talks about internal organs, in this case the spleen.

I think that, to make a better description of LHG I will need to get my hands on copies of Huang Di Nei Jing or Su Wen that can be shown to have been the prevelant versions from Song to Qing dynasties.
Is anyone here familiar with a translation of those books which goes over the details of when it circulated.
Not just any version, but one that goes into its history through the ages.
Thanks.

Stealing a Horse

[Tainan Mantis]

A short word on Luohan

Luohan comes from the Pali word Arhat (Which comes from Sanskrit).
The Luohan are the protectors of the Buddhist faith since ancient times in India, and then later in China.

Luohan are used in kung fu training because of their role as protectors. To become a Luohan you must train both your mind and body. For this reason we have many cases of kung fu using Luohan to describe techniques or forms.

Praying Mantis kung fu also has an ancient name called the Short Strikes of Luohan style.

To give yourself into the life of a Luohan you must renounce worldly pleasures for the sublte pleasures of the spiritual life and within the manuscript of Luohan Gung there are several instances of this.

This Luohan Gung has several references to plays or characters in plays within the manuscript, for example, if you read lst month's article on the Western Wing.

Later I will do an article on Chen Tuan Takes a Nap.
A technique where you stand on one leg and lay your body as if sleeping. It comes from the Taoist immortal Chen Tuan who was said to sleep for one hundred years at a time.
We can gather from this that the technique should be held for a long time.

That posture, also in Yoga, has a direct effect on the mind's clarity and works to enhance mental functions.