第十二回 · 菩薩固辭 The Bodhisattva Gives Freely — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

菩薩固辭 The Bodhisattva Gives Freely

菩pú薩sà起qǐ手shǒu道dào：「貧pín僧sēng有yǒu願yuàn在zài前qián，原yuán說shuō果guǒ有yǒu敬jìng重zhòng三sān寶bǎo，見jiàn善shàn隨suí喜xǐ，皈guī依yī我wǒ佛fó，不bú要yào錢qián，願yuàn送sòng與yǔ他tā。今jīn見jiàn陛bì下xià明míng德dé止zhǐ善shàn，敬jìng我wǒ佛fó門mén；況kuàng又yòu高gāo僧sēng有yǒu德dé有yǒu行xíng，宣xuān揚yáng大dà法fǎ，理lǐ當dāng奉fèng上shàng，決jué不bú要yào錢qián。貧pín僧sēng願yuàn留liú下xià此cǐ物wù告gào回huí。」唐táng王wáng見jiàn他tā這zhè等děng懃qín懇kěn，甚shèn喜xǐ。隨suí命mìng光guāng祿lù寺sì，大dà排pái素sù宴yàn酬chóu謝xiè。菩pú薩sà又yòu堅jiān辭cí不bú受shòu，暢chàng然rán而ér去qù，依yī舊jiù望wàng都dū土tǔ地dì廟miào中zhōng隱yǐn避bì不bù題tí。菩pú萨sà起qǐ手shǒu道dào：「贫pín僧sēng有yǒu愿yuàn在zài前qián，原yuán说shuō果guǒ有yǒu敬jìng重zhòng三sān宝bǎo，见jiàn善shàn随suí喜xǐ，皈guī依yī我wǒ佛fó，不bú要yào钱qián，愿yuàn送sòng与yǔ他tā。今jīn见jiàn陛bì下xià明míng德dé止zhǐ善shàn，敬jìng我wǒ佛fó门mén；况kuàng又yòu高gāo僧sēng有yǒu德dé有yǒu行xíng，宣xuān扬yáng大dà法fǎ，理lǐ当dāng奉fèng上shàng，决jué不bú要yào钱qián。贫pín僧sēng愿yuàn留liú下xià此cǐ物wù告gào回huí。」唐táng王wáng见jiàn他tā这zhè等děng懃qín恳kěn，甚shèn喜xǐ。随suí命mìng光guāng禄lù寺sì，大dà排pái素sù宴yàn酬chóu谢xiè。菩pú萨sà又yòu坚jiān辞cí不bú受shòu，畅chàng然rán而ér去qù，依yī旧jiù望wàng都dū土tǔ地dì庙miào中zhōng隐yǐn避bì不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

菩pú薩sà起qǐ手shǒu道dào：「貧pín僧sēng有yǒu願yuàn在zài前qián，原yuán說shuō果guǒ有yǒu敬jìng重zhòng三sān寶bǎo，見jiàn善shàn隨suí喜xǐ，皈guī依yī我wǒ佛fó，不bú要yào錢qián，願yuàn送sòng與yǔ他tā。菩pú萨sà起qǐ手shǒu道dào：「贫pín僧sēng有yǒu愿yuàn在zài前qián，原yuán说shuō果guǒ有yǒu敬jìng重zhòng三sān宝bǎo，见jiàn善shàn随suí喜xǐ，皈guī依yī我wǒ佛fó，不bú要yào钱qián，愿yuàn送sòng与yǔ他tā。

The Bodhisattva raised her hands and said: 'This poor monk made a vow beforehand: I said that if one truly honors the Three Treasures, rejoices at the sight of good, and takes refuge in my Buddha, I would take no money but gladly give them to him.'

She restates the condition she first gave Xiao Yu in the street: free to whoever reveres the Three Treasures, seven thousand taels to whoever does not. 重 in 敬重 is zhòng; 不要錢 shifts to bú.

今jīn見jiàn陛bì下xià明míng德dé止zhǐ善shàn，敬jìng我wǒ佛fó門mén；況kuàng又yòu高gāo僧sēng有yǒu德dé有yǒu行xíng，宣xuān揚yáng大dà法fǎ，理lǐ當dāng奉fèng上shàng，決jué不bú要yào錢qián。今jīn见jiàn陛bì下xià明míng德dé止zhǐ善shàn，敬jìng我wǒ佛fó门mén；况kuàng又yòu高gāo僧sēng有yǒu德dé有yǒu行xíng，宣xuān扬yáng大dà法fǎ，理lǐ当dāng奉fèng上shàng，决jué不bú要yào钱qián。

'Now I see that Your Majesty is of enlightened virtue and delights in good, and reveres my Buddha's gate; and further, that the eminent monk has virtue and conduct and proclaims the great Law. By reason I ought to present them, and will by no means take money.'

當 in 理當, by reason ought to, is dāng. Her logic is exact: reverence on both sides turns the transaction from a sale into an offering, and an offering cannot be paid for without being spoiled.

貧pín僧sēng願yuàn留liú下xià此cǐ物wù告gào回huí。」贫pín僧sēng愿yuàn留liú下xià此cǐ物wù告gào回huí。」

'This poor monk would leave these things behind and take my leave.'

告回, to take leave and withdraw, closes her speech. She means to go at once, and does.

唐táng王wáng見jiàn他tā這zhè等děng懃qín懇kěn，甚shèn喜xǐ。唐táng王wáng见jiàn他tā这zhè等děng懃qín恳kěn，甚shèn喜xǐ。

The Tang king, seeing her so earnest, was greatly pleased.

甚 in 甚喜 is the intensifier shèn. The emperor gives way, and is pleased rather than affronted to do it.

隨suí命mìng光guāng祿lù寺sì，大dà排pái素sù宴yàn酬chóu謝xiè。随suí命mìng光guāng禄lù寺sì，大dà排pái素sù宴yàn酬chóu谢xiè。

He then ordered the Court of Imperial Entertainments to lay out a great vegetarian feast in thanks.

The 光祿寺, Court of Imperial Entertainments, ran the state banquets. A 素宴 is a meatless feast, laid on so that monks can eat it.

菩pú薩sà又yòu堅jiān辭cí不bú受shòu，暢chàng然rán而ér去qù，依yī舊jiù望wàng都dū土tǔ地dì廟miào中zhōng隱yǐn避bì不bù題tí。菩pú萨sà又yòu坚jiān辞cí不bú受shòu，畅chàng然rán而ér去qù，依yī旧jiù望wàng都dū土tǔ地dì庙miào中zhōng隐yǐn避bì不bù题tí。

But the Bodhisattva firmly declined even this, and went off contentedly, retiring as before to hide in the metropolitan earth-god's shrine — of which we say no more.

都 in 都土地廟, the metropolitan earth-god's shrine, is dū. Note where she goes: not away, but into hiding a few streets off. She has not finished, and she will be back at the assembly in disguise.

總評 Commentary

The Bodhisattva's explanation resolves the deadlock by reframing the transaction altogether: to those who revere the Dharma the cassock and staff have no price, for to such people they are freely given as an act of merit. Her praise of Taizong's enlightened virtue and of Xuanzang's worth turns the refusal of payment into a mutual exchange of reverence, and the emperor, pleased rather than affronted, yields.

Declining even the banquet, she retires — but pointedly stays inside the city, hiding in a local shrine, because her work is not done. She means to find out whether the destined monk truly understands the Law, and the withdrawal only sets the stage for her dramatic reappearance at the Grand Mass.