第十二回 · 帝退禪定 The Emperor's Charge and the Falling Dusk — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

帝退禪定 The Emperor's Charge and the Falling Dusk

太tài宗zōng看kàn了le，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，對duì眾zhòng僧sēng道dào：「汝rǔ等děng秉bǐng立lì丹dān衷zhōng，切qiè休xiū怠dài慢màn佛fó事shì。待dài後hòu功gōng成chéng完wán備bèi，各gè各gè福fú有yǒu所suǒ歸guī，朕zhèn當dāng重zhòng賞shǎng，決jué不bù空kōng勞láo。」那nà一yì千qiān二èr百bǎi僧sēng，一yì齊qí頓dùn首shǒu稱chēng謝xiè。當dāng日rì三sān齋zhāi已yǐ畢bì，唐táng王wáng駕jià回huí。待dài七qī日rì正zhèng會huì，復fù請qǐng拈niān香xiāng。時shí天tiān色sè將jiāng晚wǎn，各gè官guān俱jù退tuì。怎zěn見jiàn得dé好hǎo晚wǎn？你nǐ看kàn那nà：太tài宗zōng看kàn了le，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，对duì众zhòng僧sēng道dào：「汝rǔ等děng秉bǐng立lì丹dān衷zhōng，切qiè休xiū怠dài慢màn佛fó事shì。待dài后hòu功gōng成chéng完wán备bèi，各gè各gè福fú有yǒu所suǒ归guī，朕zhèn当dāng重zhòng赏shǎng，决jué不bù空kōng劳láo。」那nà一yì千qiān二èr百bǎi僧sēng，一yì齐qí顿dùn首shǒu称chēng谢xiè。当dāng日rì三sān斋zhāi已yǐ毕bì，唐táng王wáng驾jià回huí。待dài七qī日rì正zhèng会huì，复fù请qǐng拈niān香xiāng。时shí天tiān色sè将jiāng晚wǎn，各gè官guān俱jù退tuì。怎zěn见jiàn得dé好hǎo晚wǎn？你nǐ看kàn那nà：

萬wàn里lǐ長cháng空kōng淡dàn落luò暉huī，歸guī鴉yā數shù點diǎn下xià棲qī遲chí。万wàn里lǐ长cháng空kōng淡dàn落luò晖huī，归guī鸦yā数shù点diǎn下xià栖qī迟chí。

滿mǎn城chéng燈dēng火huǒ人rén煙yān靜jìng，正zhèng是shì禪chán僧sēng入rù定dìng時shí。满mǎn城chéng灯dēng火huǒ人rén烟yān静jìng，正zhèng是shì禅chán僧sēng入rù定dìng时shí。

一yì宿xiǔ晚wǎn景jǐng題tí過guò。次cì早zǎo，法fǎ師shī又yòu昇shēng坐zuò，聚jù眾zhòng誦sòng經jīng不bù題tí。一yì宿xiǔ晚wǎn景jǐng题tí过guò。次cì早zǎo，法fǎ师shī又yòu升shēng坐zuò，聚jù众zhòng诵sòng经jīng不bù题tí。

逐句解 Line by line

太tài宗zōng看kàn了le，滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，對duì眾zhòng僧sēng道dào：「汝rǔ等děng秉bǐng立lì丹dān衷zhōng，切qiè休xiū怠dài慢màn佛fó事shì。太tài宗zōng看kàn了le，满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，对duì众zhòng僧sēng道dào：「汝rǔ等děng秉bǐng立lì丹dān衷zhōng，切qiè休xiū怠dài慢màn佛fó事shì。

When Taizong had read it, his heart was filled with joy, and he said to the assembled monks: 'You have set your sincere hearts to this — by no means be slack in the Buddhist services.'

丹衷, a cinnabar-red heart, is fervent sincerity, the colour standing in for the feeling. 佛事, the Buddhist services, takes the global reading fó for 佛.

待dài後hòu功gōng成chéng完wán備bèi，各gè各gè福fú有yǒu所suǒ歸guī，朕zhèn當dāng重zhòng賞shǎng，決jué不bù空kōng勞láo。」待dài后hòu功gōng成chéng完wán备bèi，各gè各gè福fú有yǒu所suǒ归guī，朕zhèn当dāng重zhòng赏shǎng，决jué不bù空kōng劳láo。」

'When afterward the work is done and complete, and each of you has blessings to his portion, I shall reward you richly, and by no means let your labor go for nothing.'

重 in 重賞, to reward richly, is zhòng. Note the pairing: spiritual exhortation in one breath, and in the next a promise of payment.

那nà一yì千qiān二èr百bǎi僧sēng，一yì齊qí頓dùn首shǒu稱chēng謝xiè。那nà一yì千qiān二èr百bǎi僧sēng，一yì齐qí顿dùn首shǒu称chēng谢xiè。

Those twelve hundred monks knocked their heads as one and gave thanks.

那 in 那一千二百僧 is the pointing nà; 一齊, as one and all together, takes yì.

當dāng日rì三sān齋zhāi已yǐ畢bì，唐táng王wáng駕jià回huí。当dāng日rì三sān斋zhāi已yǐ毕bì，唐táng王wáng驾jià回huí。

That day the three services completed, the Tang king's carriage returned.

三齋 are the three daily services, morning, noon and evening. 齋 is the same character as in the meatless feast: a fast, an abstinence, and by extension the service that goes with it.

待dài七qī日rì正zhèng會huì，復fù請qǐng拈niān香xiāng。待dài七qī日rì正zhèng会huì，复fù请qǐng拈niān香xiāng。

He would await the seventh day, the main assembly, when he was again to be invited to offer incense.

正 in 正會, the main assembly, is zhèng — the seventh-day session that crowns the forty-nine days. Mark the date; the chapter turns on it.

時shí天tiān色sè將jiāng晚wǎn，各gè官guān俱jù退tuì。怎zěn見jiàn得dé好hǎo晚wǎn？你nǐ看kàn那nà：时shí天tiān色sè将jiāng晚wǎn，各gè官guān俱jù退tuì。怎zěn见jiàn得dé好hǎo晚wǎn？你nǐ看kàn那nà：

The sky was now growing late, and all the officials withdrew. How may that fine evening be told? Look there:

將 in 將晚, about to darken, is jiāng; 得 in 怎見得, how may it be told, is the outcome de; 那 in 你看那 is the pointing nà.

For a myriad li the vast sky pales in the fading glow; returning crows, a few dark specks, descend late to roost.

長 in 長空, the vast sky, is cháng; 數 in 數點, a few specks, is shù. The 里 (lǐ) is left untranslated, as this reader leaves every unit of measure.

Throughout the city, lamplight; the smoke of dwellings still — it is just the hour when the Chan monks enter their trance.

入定 (rù dìng) is to enter samādhi, the deep absorption of meditation — the monks going under just as the city's lamps come on. 正 in 正是 is zhèng.

So the evening scene of that one night is told and passed. Early the next morning the Dharma Master again ascended his seat, and gathered the host to chant the scriptures — of which we say no more.

昇 in 又昇坐, again took his seat, is the 世德堂 variant of 升, read shēng. 一宿, one night, takes yí.

總評 Commentary

The first day closes on exhortation and then on stillness. Taizong charges the monks to diligence and pairs the call with a promise of reward both spiritual and material, which is a characteristically imperial way of underwriting piety.

The evening verse then draws the curtain with a landscape of great tranquillity: the vast sky paling over ten thousand li, crows dropping late to roost, the city's lamps lit and its smoke gone still, everything converging on the one hour when the Chan monks enter their trance. The pageantry and proclamation of the day give way to contemplative silence, and the narrative rests on this image of the monastic night before turning, in the passages to come, to the Bodhisattva who has been watching all the while.