菩薩鬻寶 The Bodhisattva Offers the Treasures
卻說南海普陀山觀世音菩薩,自領了如來佛旨,在長安城訪察取經的善人,日久未逢真實有德行者。忽聞得太宗宣揚善果,選舉高僧,開建大會。又見得法師壇主,乃是江流兒和尚,正是極樂中降來的佛子,又是他原引送投胎的長老。菩薩十分歡喜,就將佛賜的寶貝捧上長街,與木叉貨賣。你道他是何寶貝?有一件錦襴異寶袈裟、九環錫杖。還有那金緊禁三個箍兒,密密藏收,以俟後用。只將袈裟、錫杖出賣。却说南海普陀山观世音菩萨,自领了如来佛旨,在长安城访察取经的善人,日久未逢真实有德行者。忽闻得太宗宣扬善果,选举高僧,开建大会。又见得法师坛主,乃是江流儿和尚,正是极乐中降来的佛子,又是他原引送投胎的长老。菩萨十分欢喜,就将佛赐的宝贝捧上长街,与木叉货卖。你道他是何宝贝?有一件锦襕异宝袈裟、九环锡杖。还有那金紧禁三个箍儿,密密藏收,以俟后用。只将袈裟、锡杖出卖。
逐句解 Line by line
We tell now how Guanshiyin, the Bodhisattva of Mount Potalaka in the Southern Sea, having received the Buddha Tathagata's command, had been searching the city of Chang'an for the good man to fetch the scriptures, and for many a day had not met with one of true virtue and conduct.
The scene shifts to the Bodhisattva Guanyin (觀世音), sent by the Tathagata to find a scripture-pilgrim. 普陀山 (Mount Potalaka) is her island abode in the Southern Sea. 長 in 長安 is cháng.
Then suddenly she heard that Taizong was proclaiming the good fruits, choosing out eminent monks and holding a great assembly.
得 in 聞得 ('heard that') is the resultative de.
And she saw further that the master of the altar was none other than the monk Jiangliu-er — truly a Buddha-son come down from the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and the very elder who had once escorted him into the womb.
The Bodhisattva recognizes Xuanzang as the reincarnated Golden Cicada whose rebirth she herself had arranged. 得 in 見得 is de; 兒 in 江流兒 is the name-suffix er; 佛子 ('Buddha-son') reads 子 as the noun zǐ. 極樂 is jí lè, and 長老 ('elder') 長 is zhǎng.
The Bodhisattva was greatly pleased, and took the treasures bestowed by the Buddha up onto the long avenue, to sell together with Moksha.
木叉 (Moksha) is Guanyin's disciple, the second son of Li Jing, accompanying her in disguise. 將 in 就將佛賜 is the disposal jiāng; 長 in 長街 ('the long avenue') is cháng.
And what treasures were they, do you ask? There was a cassock of brocade, a rare treasure, and a nine-ringed pilgrim's staff.
錦襴袈裟 (the brocade cassock) and 九環錫杖 (the nine-ringed staff) are the gifts the Buddha has entrusted to Guanyin for the future pilgrim.
There were also those three fillets — the Gold, the Tight, and the Ban — which she kept closely hidden away, to be used later on.
金緊禁三個箍兒 are the three head-bands (the Gold, Tight, and Ban fillets) that will later subdue Sun Wukong and others; the storyteller plants them here for future use. 還 in 還有 is hái ('also'); 那 is demonstrative nà; 兒 in 箍兒 is the diminutive er; 藏 in 藏收 ('to store away') is cáng.
Only the cassock and the staff did she put up for sale.
將 in 只將袈裟 is the disposal jiāng.
The chapter's climactic strand now opens with a shift of scene to Guanyin, who has been in Chang'an all along on the Buddha's errand, seeking the man fit to fetch the scriptures. Her recognition of Xuanzang as the reincarnated Golden Cicada — whose very rebirth she arranged — confirms that the officiant of the Grand Mass is the destined pilgrim. The passage also quietly plants two of the novel's most important properties: the brocade cassock and nine-ringed staff she will bestow, and the three subduing fillets she keeps hidden 'to be used later on' — a narrative seed that will not flower for many chapters. Disguised and accompanied by Moksha, the Bodhisattva takes the treasures to market, setting the stage for the encounter that will bring her before the throne.