第十二回 · 徒眾問誓 The Disciples' Question — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

徒眾問誓 The Disciples' Question

玄xuán奘zàng亦yì回huí洪hóng福fú寺sì裡lǐ。那nà本běn寺sì多duō僧sēng與yǔ幾jǐ個gè徒tú弟dì，早zǎo聞wén取qǔ經jīng之zhī事shì，都dōu來lái相xiāng見jiàn，因yīn問wèn：「發fā誓shì願yuàn上shàng西xī天tiān，實shí否fǒu？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「是shì實shí。」他tā徒tú弟dì道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，嘗cháng聞wén人rén言yán，西xī天tiān路lù遠yuǎn，更gèng多duō虎hǔ豹bào妖yāo魔mó。只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu去qù無wú回huí，難nán保bǎo身shēn命mìng。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ已yǐ發fā了le洪hóng誓shì大dà願yuàn，不bù取qǔ真zhēn經jīng，永yǒng墮duò沉chén淪lún地dì獄yù。大dà抵dǐ是shì受shòu王wáng恩ēn寵chǒng，不bù得dé不bù盡jìn忠zhōng以yǐ報bào國guó耳ěr。我wǒ此cǐ去qù真zhēn是shì渺miǎo渺miǎo茫máng茫máng，吉jí凶xiōng難nán定dìng。」又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì們men，我wǒ去qù之zhī後hòu，或huò三sān二èr年nián，或huò五wǔ七qī年nián，但dàn看kàn那nà山shān門mén裡lǐ松sōng枝zhī頭tóu向xiàng東dōng，我wǒ即jí回huí來lái；不bù然rán，斷duàn不bù回huí矣yǐ。」眾zhòng徒tú將jiāng此cǐ言yán切qiē切qiē而ér記jì。玄xuán奘zàng亦yì回huí洪hóng福fú寺sì里lǐ。那nà本běn寺sì多duō僧sēng与yǔ几jǐ个gè徒tú弟dì，早zǎo闻wén取qǔ经jīng之zhī事shì，都dōu来lái相xiāng见jiàn，因yīn问wèn：「发fā誓shì愿yuàn上shàng西xī天tiān，实shí否fǒu？」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「是shì实shí。」他tā徒tú弟dì道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，尝cháng闻wén人rén言yán，西xī天tiān路lù远yuǎn，更gèng多duō虎hǔ豹bào妖yāo魔mó。只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu去qù无wú回huí，难nán保bǎo身shēn命mìng。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ已yǐ发fā了le洪hóng誓shì大dà愿yuàn，不bù取qǔ真zhēn经jīng，永yǒng堕duò沉chén沦lún地dì狱yù。大dà抵dǐ是shì受shòu王wáng恩ēn宠chǒng，不bù得dé不bù尽jìn忠zhōng以yǐ报bào国guó耳ěr。我wǒ此cǐ去qù真zhēn是shì渺miǎo渺miǎo茫máng茫máng，吉jí凶xiōng难nán定dìng。」又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì们men，我wǒ去qù之zhī后hòu，或huò三sān二èr年nián，或huò五wǔ七qī年nián，但dàn看kàn那nà山shān门mén里lǐ松sōng枝zhī头tóu向xiàng东dōng，我wǒ即jí回huí来lái；不bù然rán，断duàn不bù回huí矣yǐ。」众zhòng徒tú将jiāng此cǐ言yán切qiē切qiē而ér记jì。

逐句解 Line by line

玄xuán奘zàng亦yì回huí洪hóng福fú寺sì裡lǐ。那nà本běn寺sì多duō僧sēng與yǔ幾jǐ個gè徒tú弟dì，早zǎo聞wén取qǔ經jīng之zhī事shì，都dōu來lái相xiāng見jiàn，因yīn問wèn：「發fā誓shì願yuàn上shàng西xī天tiān，實shí否fǒu？」玄xuán奘zàng亦yì回huí洪hóng福fú寺sì里lǐ。那nà本běn寺sì多duō僧sēng与yǔ几jǐ个gè徒tú弟dì，早zǎo闻wén取qǔ经jīng之zhī事shì，都dōu来lái相xiāng见jiàn，因yīn问wèn：「发fā誓shì愿yuàn上shàng西xī天tiān，实shí否fǒu？」

Xuanzang, too, returned to the Hongfu Temple. The many monks of that temple and several of his disciples, having already heard of the scripture-seeking, all came to see him, and asked: 'Is it true that you have sworn a vow to go up to the Western Heaven?'

那 is demonstrative nà; 都 in 都來 ('all came') is dōu; 相 in 相見 ('to see [him]') is xiāng.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「是shì實shí。」他tā徒tú弟dì道dào：「師shī父fù啊a，嘗cháng聞wén人rén言yán，西xī天tiān路lù遠yuǎn，更gèng多duō虎hǔ豹bào妖yāo魔mó。只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu去qù無wú回huí，難nán保bǎo身shēn命mìng。」玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「是shì实shí。」他tā徒tú弟dì道dào：「师shī父fù啊a，尝cháng闻wén人rén言yán，西xī天tiān路lù远yuǎn，更gèng多duō虎hǔ豹bào妖yāo魔mó。只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu去qù无wú回huí，难nán保bǎo身shēn命mìng。」

Xuanzang said: 'It is true.' His disciples said: 'Master — we have often heard it said that the road to the Western Heaven is long, and full besides of tigers and leopards, of demons and monsters. We fear only that you will go and not return, and that your life cannot be preserved.'

更 in 更多 ('yet more') is gèng; 難 in 難保 ('hard to preserve') is nán.

玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ已yǐ發fā了le洪hóng誓shì大dà願yuàn，不bù取qǔ真zhēn經jīng，永yǒng墮duò沉chén淪lún地dì獄yù。玄xuán奘zàng道dào：「我wǒ已yǐ发fā了le洪hóng誓shì大dà愿yuàn，不bù取qǔ真zhēn经jīng，永yǒng堕duò沉chén沦lún地dì狱yù。

Xuanzang said: 'I have already sworn a great and solemn vow: that if I do not fetch the true scriptures, I shall fall forever into the hell of perdition.'

The monk repeats to his disciples the absolute vow he swore before the emperor and the Buddha.

大dà抵dǐ是shì受shòu王wáng恩ēn寵chǒng，不bù得dé不bù盡jìn忠zhōng以yǐ報bào國guó耳ěr。我wǒ此cǐ去qù真zhēn是shì渺miǎo渺miǎo茫máng茫máng，吉jí凶xiōng難nán定dìng。」大dà抵dǐ是shì受shòu王wáng恩ēn宠chǒng，不bù得dé不bù尽jìn忠zhōng以yǐ报bào国guó耳ěr。我wǒ此cǐ去qù真zhēn是shì渺miǎo渺miǎo茫máng茫máng，吉jí凶xiōng难nán定dìng。」

'In the main, having received the king's grace and favor, I cannot but exhaust my loyalty to repay the state. This journey of mine is truly vast and uncertain, and whether it ends in fortune or in ill is hard to say.'

得 in 不得不 ('cannot but') is dé. Xuanzang frames the pilgrimage in the Confucian language of loyal service (盡忠報國) as much as of Buddhist vow.

又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì們men，我wǒ去qù之zhī後hòu，或huò三sān二èr年nián，或huò五wǔ七qī年nián，但dàn看kàn那nà山shān門mén裡lǐ松sōng枝zhī頭tóu向xiàng東dōng，我wǒ即jí回huí來lái；不bù然rán，斷duàn不bù回huí矣yǐ。」又yòu道dào：「徒tú弟dì们men，我wǒ去qù之zhī后hòu，或huò三sān二èr年nián，或huò五wǔ七qī年nián，但dàn看kàn那nà山shān门mén里lǐ松sōng枝zhī头tóu向xiàng东dōng，我wǒ即jí回huí来lái；不bù然rán，断duàn不bù回huí矣yǐ。」

And he said: 'My disciples, after I have gone — it may be two or three years, it may be five or seven — only watch the pine-branch within the temple gate: when its tips turn to the east, I shall be coming back; if not, then I shall surely not return.'

那 is demonstrative nà; 向 in 向東 ('turn east') is xiàng. The pine-branch that turns eastward is a folk omen of the traveler's return — a homely token amid the solemn vows.

眾zhòng徒tú將jiāng此cǐ言yán切qiē切qiē而ér記jì。众zhòng徒tú将jiāng此cǐ言yán切qiē切qiē而ér记jì。

The disciples earnestly took his words to heart.

將 in 將此言 is the disposal jiāng. The sign of the pine will be remembered and watched.

總評 Commentary

Back at his own temple, Xuanzang meets the natural fear of those who love him: the road is long and beset with monsters, and they doubt he will return alive. His answer joins the two moral vocabularies the chapter has braided throughout — he cannot but 'exhaust his loyalty to repay the state,' the language of the Confucian minister, in service of a Buddhist vow sworn on pain of eternal hell. And to the abstract terror of the journey he adds one concrete, human token: the pine-branch by the gate, whose eastward turning will signal his return. It is a small domestic detail of great tenderness, grounding the cosmic undertaking in the ordinary hope of those left behind, and it will indeed be watched, years hence, for the sign of his coming home.