第十二回 · 現真身 The Bodhisattva Reveals Her True Form — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

現真身 The Bodhisattva Reveals Her True Form

那nà菩pú薩sà帶dài了le木mù叉chā，飛fēi上shàng高gāo臺tái，遂suì踏tà祥xiáng雲yún，直zhí至zhì九jiǔ霄xiāo，現xiàn出chū救jiù苦kǔ原yuán身shēn，托tuō了le淨jìng瓶píng楊yáng柳liǔ。左zuǒ邊biān是shì木mù叉chā惠huì岸àn，執zhí著zhe棍gùn，抖dǒu擻sǒu精jīng神shén。喜xǐ的de個gè唐táng王wáng朝cháo天tiān禮lǐ拜bài，眾zhòng文wén武wǔ跪guì地dì焚fén香xiāng。滿mǎn寺sì中zhōng僧sēng尼ní道dào俗sú、士shì人rén工gōng賈jiǎ，無wú一yì人rén不bú拜bài禱dǎo道dào：「好hǎo菩pú薩sà！好hǎo菩pú薩sà！」有yǒu讚zàn為wéi證zhèng。但dàn見jiàn那nà：那nà菩pú萨sà带dài了le木mù叉chā，飞fēi上shàng高gāo台tái，遂suì踏tà祥xiáng云yún，直zhí至zhì九jiǔ霄xiāo，现xiàn出chū救jiù苦kǔ原yuán身shēn，托tuō了le净jìng瓶píng杨yáng柳liǔ。左zuǒ边biān是shì木mù叉chā惠huì岸àn，执zhí着zhe棍gùn，抖dǒu擞sǒu精jīng神shén。喜xǐ的de个gè唐táng王wáng朝cháo天tiān礼lǐ拜bài，众zhòng文wén武wǔ跪guì地dì焚fén香xiāng。满mǎn寺sì中zhōng僧sēng尼ní道dào俗sú、士shì人rén工gōng贾jiǎ，无wú一yì人rén不bú拜bài祷dǎo道dào：「好hǎo菩pú萨sà！好hǎo菩pú萨sà！」有yǒu赞zàn为wéi证zhèng。但dàn见jiàn那nà：

逐句解 Line by line

那nà菩pú薩sà帶dài了le木mù叉chā，飛fēi上shàng高gāo臺tái，遂suì踏tà祥xiáng雲yún，直zhí至zhì九jiǔ霄xiāo，現xiàn出chū救jiù苦kǔ原yuán身shēn，托tuō了le淨jìng瓶píng楊yáng柳liǔ。那nà菩pú萨sà带dài了le木mù叉chā，飞fēi上shàng高gāo台tái，遂suì踏tà祥xiáng云yún，直zhí至zhì九jiǔ霄xiāo，现xiàn出chū救jiù苦kǔ原yuán身shēn，托tuō了le净jìng瓶píng杨yáng柳liǔ。

That Bodhisattva, taking Moksha with her, flew up onto the high platform, then trod upon the auspicious clouds, rose straight to the ninth heaven, and revealed her true form as the Reliever of Suffering, holding aloft the pure vase and the willow-sprig.

救苦原身, her original body as the Reliever of Suffering, is Guanyin's true form. The 淨瓶, pure vase, and the 楊柳, willow sprig, are her emblems in every image of her: the willow is dipped in the vase and shaken out to sprinkle the sweet dew of compassion. 那 is the pointing nà.

左zuǒ邊biān是shì木mù叉chā惠huì岸àn，執zhí著zhe棍gùn，抖dǒu擻sǒu精jīng神shén。左zuǒ边biān是shì木mù叉chā惠huì岸àn，执zhí着zhe棍gùn，抖dǒu擞sǒu精jīng神shén。

On her left was Moksha Huian, gripping his staff, his spirit alert and keen.

惠岸, Huian, is Moksha's religious title. 著 in 執著棍, gripping his staff, is the ongoing-action zhe.

喜xǐ的de個gè唐táng王wáng朝cháo天tiān禮lǐ拜bài，眾zhòng文wén武wǔ跪guì地dì焚fén香xiāng。喜xǐ的de个gè唐táng王wáng朝cháo天tiān礼lǐ拜bài，众zhòng文wén武wǔ跪guì地dì焚fén香xiāng。

So delighted was the Tang king that he worshipped toward heaven, and all his civil and military officers knelt to the ground and offered incense.

朝 in 朝天, facing heaven, is cháo. Court decorum simply gives way; the emperor worships where he stands.

滿mǎn寺sì中zhōng僧sēng尼ní道dào俗sú、士shì人rén工gōng賈jiǎ，無wú一yì人rén不bú拜bài禱dǎo道dào：「好hǎo菩pú薩sà！好hǎo菩pú薩sà！」有yǒu讚zàn為wéi證zhèng。但dàn見jiàn那nà：满mǎn寺sì中zhōng僧sēng尼ní道dào俗sú、士shì人rén工gōng贾jiǎ，无wú一yì人rén不bú拜bài祷dǎo道dào：「好hǎo菩pú萨sà！好hǎo菩pú萨sà！」有yǒu赞zàn为wéi证zhèng。但dàn见jiàn那nà：

Throughout the temple, monks and nuns, Daoists and laity, scholars, artisans, and merchants — there was not one who did not bow and pray, saying: 'Blessed Bodhisattva! Blessed Bodhisattva!' There is a hymn in proof. Behold:

為 in 讚為證, a hymn in proof of it, is wéi; 那 in 但見那 is the pointing nà, ushering in the descriptive rhapsody. Note who is listed as bowing — monks and nuns, Daoists and laity, scholars, artisans, merchants. The whole social order goes down at once.

總評 Commentary

The disguise falls, and the chapter reaches its climax: the ragged mendicant ascends the platform and manifests as Guanyin herself, in full iconographic glory — vase and willow in hand, Moksha at her side, borne up to the ninth heaven on auspicious cloud. The effect on the assembly is total: emperor, court, clergy and commons alike fall to worship as one.

What had been staged as a scandal, two beggars disrupting a rite, is revealed as a theophany, and the doctrinal correction of the preceding passages is now underwritten by unmistakable divine authority. The revelation transforms the whole meaning of the Grand Mass: it was not the culmination of the emperor's piety but the occasion heaven chose to announce a far greater task.